Two of the WNBA's most intriguing squads faced off Friday night, as Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky played host to Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever. In a battle between the two consensus Rookie of the Year candidates, it was Clark and the Fever who put forth a better display for a 100-81 victory, though Reese did achieve a pair of historic feats.
Clark was on fire throughout the night after telling reporters before the game that she (and Reese) were focused more on winning games than competing for individual awards. She quickly racked up 15 points and eight assists by halftime, and then bolstered those numbers early into the third quarter in absolutely devastating fashion.
Clark drew a favorable matchup against Chicago forward Kamilla Cardoso on the perimeter. Knowing she had the speed advantage, Clark feigned as if she was going to blow by her opponent and drive to the basket, only to stop on a dime and step back beyond the three-point line. Clark pulled up from deep and drained the shot, having had created plenty of separation between herself and her defender.
Caitlin Clark is a demon pic.twitter.com/4ZDNpFOb63 https://t.co/uFhWOv2O6J
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) August 31, 2024
After putting Cardoso in a blender, Clark joyously skipped down court in celebration of her move and jumped around with her excited teammates while the game went to a timeout.
In all, Clark certainly showed why she's the most dominant rookie in the WNBA during Friday's lopsided victory. She dropped 31 points, 12 assists and four rebounds while making five threes on nine attempts.
Reese, on the other hand, recorded her 23rd double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 boards. In doing so, she broke two WNBA rookie records previously held by Tina Charles. Reese's 23 double-doubles are the most by a rookie in a single season. Additionally, she's now up to 399 total rebounds on the year, surpassing Charles' record for the most rebounds in a season by a rookie.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Caitlin Clark Scores 31 as Fever Trounce Sky Despite Angel Reese's Historic Night.
