Two days after Chennedy Carter committed a Flagrant 1 foul against Caitlin Clark in Saturday’s game between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever, Chicago coach Teresa Weatherspoon called the actions of her guard “not appropriate.”

“Chennedy got caught up in the heat of the moment in an effort to win the game,” Weatherspoon said in a statement Monday. “She and I have discussed what happened and that it was not appropriate, nor is it what we do or who we are.”

Carter’s foul occurred late in the third quarter of Indiana’s win when, after making a basket, Carter knocked down Clark as the Fever rookie awaited an inbounds pass. Carter appeared to say something before slamming her shoulder into Clark, causing her to fall to the ground. Carter was whistled for an away-from-the-play foul, giving Clark her lone free throw attempt of the game, but officials did not upgrade it to a flagrant at the time.

The WNBA upgraded the foul to a Flagrant 1 on Sunday after reviewing the check. Carter won’t be suspended, the league confirmed Sunday.

Weatherspoon said it was a learning moment for Carter.

Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon has released a statement re: Carter’s foul on Clark

Weatherspon says they discussed it and it “was not appropriate”

“(She) understands that there are better…

The WNBA upgraded a foul committed by Chennedy Carter against Caitlin Clark to a Flagrant 1 after the league reviewed the check that became a talking point of Saturday’s game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky. Carter will not receive a suspension or fine for the hit, the league confirmed Sunday. The league also announced it fined the Sky and rookie Angel Reese for failing to make herself available to the media after the game.

Carter’s foul occurred late in the third quarter of Indiana’s win when, after making a basket, Carter knocked down Clark as the Fever rookie awaited an inbounds pass. Carter appeared to say something before slamming her shoulder into Clark, causing her to fall to the ground. Carter was whistled for an away-from-the-play foul, giving Clark her lone free throw attempt of the game, but officials did not upgrade it to a flagrant at the time.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” Clark said after the game. “But it’s just like, ‘Respond, calm down and let your play do the talking.’ It is what it is … Go make the free throw and then execute on offense.” During an ESPN in-game interview, Clark said, “That’s just not a basketball play.”

Carter, who led Chicago with 19 points off the bench, declined to comment about the altercation.

“I…

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Fever coaches jumped to their feet, as did Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese. Feeling as though their franchise player had just received a cheap shot, Fever coaches begged officials to issue a flagrant or technical foul on Sky guard Chennedy Carter, who had knocked rookie Caitlin Clark to the court. Reese, who had been sitting on the bench, cheered on her teammate. This tension had been building throughout Saturday’s game, and it finally boiled over with 15.1 seconds left in the third quarter.

On the previous play, after Clark slapped the ball away from Carter, which led to an Aliyah Boston layup, Clark let Carter hear about it. Carter responded on the other end by sinking a midrange jumper, but that wasn’t enough. Carter then walked up to Clark, yelled at her, and knocked her down. She didn’t make a play on the ball. She didn’t even try to. The ball hadn’t been inbounded yet before Clark was upended.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” Clark said afterward. “But I think it’s just like, ‘Respond, calm down and let your play do the talking.’”

The free throw Clark sank afterward — which wound up the difference in the Fever’s 71-70 victory — spoke volumes.

In a fiery contest featuring familiar faces and rekindled rivalries, Clark and the…

Saturday’s highly anticipated reunion between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese — this time on the WNBA stage — delivered as the Indiana Fever beat the Chicago Sky 70-71.

Indiana’s Clark finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, while Chicago’s Reese put up eight points with 12 rebounds. Reese was relentless on the offensive glass with eight offensive rebounds, the most by a rookie in franchise history.

Clark and Reese last met in the Elite Eight in April, with Clark and Iowa beating Reese and LSU 94-87 to advance in the NCAA Tournament. Iowa went on to reach the national championship, where it lost to South Carolina.

Saturday’s game provided another reunion for Clark as she faced Kamilla Cardoso, a member of the Gamecocks championship team and now a Sky rookie. Cardoso made her WNBA debut Saturday after missing the start of the season with a shoulder injury and put up 11 points with six rebounds off the bench.

Cardoso also faced her former college teammate, Aliyah Boston. With 1:19 remaining in the game, Indiana’s Boston made a huge and-1 layup over Cardoso, giving the Fever a 70-67 lead.

GAMECOCK ON GAMECOCK

Aliyah Boston with the huge bucket for the Fever on ESPN

WNBA Commissioner’s Cup presented by @coinbase pic.twitter.com/j6uSNpwIOy

— WNBA (@WNBA) June…

CHICAGO — It was late in the third quarter when Angel Reese found herself on the ground again, locked in a losing battle under the basket with veteran power forward Alyssa Thomas.

Before Saturday’s game — her long-awaited, regular-season home debut — Reese said she was excited to play against Thomas, a skilled, bruising post player she used to watch at the University of Maryland.

And even after getting choke-slammed to the ground by Thomas as they tangled for a rebound late in the third quarter — a play that earned Thomas the heave-ho with a flagrant-2 foul — Reese wasn’t changing her tune following the undefeated Connecticut Sun’s 86-82 win over Chicago at Wintrust Arena.

“It’s no hard feelings to A.T.,” she said. “Obviously, I know she purposely, probably, didn’t do it towards me, but just being able to come out there and just be strong and stand on two feet, it was going to be a tough game and that’s what I’m built for. And my teammates had my back throughout the whole game. So I was prepared for it.”

Alyssa Thomas was ejected after a hard foul on Angel Reese. pic.twitter.com/CxJNDkfePd

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 26, 2024

A rookie getting abused by a veteran they once idolized? A tale as old as basketball. But Reese, who had 13 points…

Angel Reese made her home debut in Chicago on Saturday, and the Sky crowd was treated to some extracurricular activities during the opener.

With 3:41 to play in the third quarter, and Chicago trailing league-leading Connecticut by one, Reese jockeyed for position on an offensive rebound. Sun veteran Alyssa Thomas got tangled with the rookie on the box out and knocked Reese to the ground with her left arm, resulting in a flagrant 2 upon replay review and an ejection.

Thomas, who finished second in MVP voting in 2023, is one of the most physical players in the league but has only been whistled for seven flagrant fouls — all flagrant 1s — since being drafted to the WNBA in 2014. Her ejection is the first of the season across the league and cut short the matchup between former Maryland players.

Reese and Thomas had been battling on the boards throughout the game, with both collecting two offensive rebounds before Thomas’ exit but Thomas outpaced Reese on the defensive glass 4-1. Reese outscored Thomas 13-9 through three quarters.

Angel Reese spoke pregame about how excited she was to face off against Alyssa Thomas and Bri Jones, who she admired since they were at Maryland: “Those are players I’ve had my eye on.” pic.twitter.com/K0MJLbhZvb

— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) May…

NEW YORK — As Chicago Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon paced the sideline during Thursday night’s matchup against the New York Liberty, evidence of her own history was just feet away from her. At mid-court, Weatherspoon’s name is stamped onto the Barclays Center hardwood, signifying her as one of seven members in the Liberty’s Ring of Honor. Named to the WNBA’s 15th and 20th anniversary teams, she guided New York to four WNBA Finals, appearances which had been the franchise’s most recent before last season.

It was fitting and unsurprising that midway through the first quarter the Liberty honored Weatherspoon with a video tribute, complete with highlights from her playing days. Weatherspoon, who is in her first season as Chicago’s head coach, placed her hands together and nodded her head to acknowledge the crowd. She raised her right hand. “Thank you,” she repeated.

“These people loved me,” she said Thursday morning. “They gave me all of them, so I tried to give them all of me. It’s been that way since I played here, even with me being away.”

The admiration was genuine. In the second quarter, when Sky assistant Crystal Robinson, who is also in New York’s Ring of Honor, was featured in a similar tribute, fans again showed their respect. “She gave…

WNBA rookie and former college basketball star Angel Reese can now add “professional sports owner” to her resume. Reese is the newest owner of DC Power Football Club, the new Washington, D.C.-based professional women’s soccer team that will begin play in the USL Super League this summer, the team announced Tuesday.

The team’s current ownership group also includes Major League Soccer’s D.C. United, as well as community and business leaders from the DMV area, the club has said.

“I want to help grow women’s sports and elevate female athletes across the board,” Reese said in a statement.  “We’re taking over, and I’m honored to be able to support Power FC and invest in women’s soccer in the DMV community.”

The club did not share more details about Reese’s ownership stake in the club.

As a native of Randallstown, Maryland, Reese has deep ties to the community in the D.C. area. She hopes that, by joining Power FC, she can help establish new pathways for aspiring pro athletes, the club said. But what Reese also brings to the club as their first celebrity owner is her ability to extend DC Power’s reach beyond the DMV area, and beyond soccer.

Reese is one of the star members of the WNBA’s rookie class, and is only a few weeks into her professional career…

CHICAGO — If you want to know how quickly the WNBA is changing, just look at Angel Reese’s week.

On Monday, her 22nd birthday, the Chicago Sky rookie made an unusual trip after practice in suburban Deerfield.

Typically when people leave the Sachs Center, a park district health club in a strip mall, they might get some ramen at Jimmy Thai or a coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts. If they really feel like ruining their workout, they go across the street to Portillo’s.

Reese, who is a bit different than the average player, rookie or not, went to the Met Gala.

“These new kids,” veteran guard Diamond DeShields said with a laugh and a sigh. “They got it made.”

Happy Birthday, @Reese10Angel ! The basketball superstar is making her first #MetGala appearance tonight wearing @16Arlington.

See more @TheMarkHotelNY departures here: https://t.co/dCcxppu9YC pic.twitter.com/pnNtFCOHpA

— WWD (@wwd) May 6, 2024

Reese rocked a custom dress from British label 16Arlington, enjoyed the night among the glitterati and then flew back to Chicago to be ready to put in some work Tuesday. She scored 13 points and added five rebounds in 19 minutes as the Sky blew out the New York Liberty in a 101-53 preseason victory.

“I went to the Met Gala, slayed the Met Gala in New York, came back, slayed against…

Fans hoping to catch rookie stars Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso make their WNBA preseason debuts Friday night were dismayed to find the game unavailable through the WNBA League Pass, but over 800,000 viewers found a quirky alternative way to watch: through a fan’s livestream on X filmed on her cellphone.

The user @heyheyitsalli shared a post before the game started about the league angering fans by not showing the game through YouTube as was originally announced, and then asked in a follow-up post if she should try to stream the game from the stands. The result was a two-hour video stream with “some of THE WILDEST numbers” she could’ve expected, she exclaimed in a later post.

The video post was viewed over 800,000 times by midnight Friday and was reposted over 2,300 times. Among the nearly 400 replies was WNBA legend Sue Bird.

This is amazing . I hope you got that mophie! https://t.co/Ng5GuV6JEH

— Sue Bird (@S10Bird) May 4, 2024

Before the game, the league incorrectly displayed on the League Pass app that the game would be available to watch. After fans were left frustrated by the unavailability, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve spoke after the game about the livestream.

“The growth is happening so fast, it’s so accelerated. Business as usual isn’t going to work…