In the wake of a heated game between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever, Sky forward Angel Reese issued a strong message to the WNBA and its fans, reminding everyone that women's basketball is more than just about one player, Caitlin Clark. The incident during Saturday's game, where Sky guard Chennedy Carter's hard foul on Clark was upgraded to a flagrant-1 violation by the league, sparked widespread debate and highlighted the competitive nature of the sport.

Reese, who did not speak immediately following the game, addressed the media on Monday. The league had fined Reese $1,000 for failing to make herself available to the media post-game, while the Sky received a $5,000 fine for not ensuring player compliance with media policies. During the media session, both Carter and Reese provided their perspectives on the incident and the broader implications for women's basketball.

“The reason why we’re watching women’s basketball is not just because of one person,” Reese said, as reported by Anna Robert and Rick Tarsitano of WGN9. “It’s because of me, too. I want y’all to realize that.”

Carter, unrepentant about her actions, emphasized her competitive nature.

“I’m going to compete with anything,” she said “I’m going to compete and play, 100% hard, no matter who it is. … I don’t know Caitlin. I don’t know her from anywhere. But at the end of the day, this is competitive and this is basketball.”

Reese defended her teammate's actions while also highlighting Chicago's collective accountability.

“She’s taken accountability for what happened and we’ve moved forward from that,” Reese said.

Angel Reese: ‘Competition' fuels Chennedy Carter, other Sky teammates

Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter (7) reacts during the first quarter against the Dallas Wings.
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Reese further elaborated on the intense competition and the energy that fuels the Sky team.

“It’s just competition, … fuels our fire. Me and Chennedy … we go off our energy. We’re a dynamic duo where we come off a lot of energy, and we’re just super competitive every single day,” Reese said in a video shared by ESPN.

Carter also addressed the broader context of her actions and the misconceptions that may arise from single incidents.

“I’m just seeing a lot of players and fans not understanding who I am as a player, who have to understand who I am as a person too. Don’t look at one tape and form an opinion about me,” Carter said. “I’m truly a passionate person about the game and I’m genuine … Don’t form an opinion off of one little clip that you didn’t even see the whole game and or the play that led to that.”

Reese echoed her teammate’s sentiment, highlighting the unique stories and challenges faced by each player.

“All of us have a story … Chennedy has been out of the league, I’ve had a story behind me – people are gonna have their misconceptions about each and everyone on this team, and that’s what makes it so special,” Reese said. “Everybody doesn’t get this opportunity, so when we go out there and play super hard … it’s not personal. … it’s based off of our stories and where we’ve come from … So just being able to go out there and play with a chip on our shoulder … you just got to accept that.”