After a baptism of fire during her maiden WNBA season, Caitlin Clark has revealed her feelings on the treatment she received from opponents including Angel Reese during her rookie campaign

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has revealed that her relationship with Angel Reese is “respectful” as she asserted that she does not believe her rival knowingly cheered after she was pushed over Chennedy Carter.

That controversial moment during the Indianapolis outfit’s 71-70 win over the Chicago Sky in June saw the foul upgraded to a flagrant-1 violation following a review. The incident also led to significant debate within the WNBA community over the treatment of No. 1 overall draft pick Clark by opponents during her maiden campaign in the league.

The former college sensation made the successful transition to the professional game last season during a record-breaking maiden term. Now, the Rookie of the Year for 2024 has reflected on her long-running rivalry with the aforementioned Reese, as she denied that there is any tension between them.

The 22-year-old’s talents have been rewarded once more as Clark was named as TIME’s Athlete of the Year for 2024 to add to her growing list of accolades. Asked about her relationship with Reese, she insisted: “We’re not best friends, by any means, but we’re very respectful of one another.

“Yes, we have had tremendous battles. But when have I ever guarded her? And when has she guarded me? I didn’t think it was taunting. It really didn’t bother me. It’s just like, “Why don’t you talk about them winning? Or the incredible run that we went on that nobody would have thought we would have ever gone on?'”

The former Iowa hero acknowledged that the rumors of a rift between them had ramped up even further after Reese was accused of cheering after Carter’s bodycheck during the game in June. She said: “The only thing people cared about was this controversy that was really fabricated and made up, and then that has continued to be the case ever since.”

Chennedy Carter placed a hard foul on Clark last season ( Image: Getty Images)

“My emotions have gotten the best of me many times,” she added, before saying of Reese’s apparent cheers on the bench: “I don’t even know if she really knew what happened. Honestly, I don’t think she was cheering because somebody hit me. I really don’t think that would be the case. I hope not.”

Clark also denied accusations that she had been “targeted” by opponents during her rookie season. She continued: “I never thought I was being targeted. Obviously, that shouldn’t ever happen within a game. But basketball is physical. Your emotions can get the best of you.”

As for her flagrant foul on Clark during the game between their two teams on June 16, Reese said: “For inside, I think we were playing really hard. I think we went up really strong a lot of times and we didn’t get a lot of calls. And going back into looking at the film, I’ve seen a lot of calls that weren’t made. I guess some people got a special whistle.”