When the Indiana Fever snagged another win over the Chicago Sky, it felt like just another spicy chapter in what fans are calling the “rivalry” between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. Especially since both players delivered. While Clark posted a historic triple-double, Reese dominated the boards with 17 rebounds and 12 points. But it wasn’t the stat lines that stole the spotlight. Instead, it was a third-quarter moment—a hard foul from Clark on Reese—that had WNBA fans buzzing for days. Despite both players brushing it off as “just a basketball play,” and judging by their reactions, it really did seem like business as usual on the court. Still, even days later, fans aren’t ready to move on.
Things escalated even further when an X user posted a video of the Chicago Sky team coming out of the locker room. “Here’s another angle as the Chicago Sky is running out to the court,” the user wrote. Within minutes, the tweet went viral. While the video had nothing to do with Reese directly, the comment section told a very different story.
To be honest, for things to blow up like this is something unexpected. Especially since the WNBA had already released a statement regarding fan behaviour right after the Fever vs. Sun game.
Here is another angle as the Chicago sky is running out to the court.@WNBAComms pic.twitter.com/KyqFZccRUr
— Lamont (@Coach_Evans25) May 19, 2025
“The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms — they have no place in our league or in society. We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter,” the league’s statement read. This came in response to reports filed with the league regarding allegations of racist comments directed at Sky forward Angel Reese by fans in the crowd.
So yes, a bit of fan tension is expected—especially if it’s related to the flagrant foul. Just like the boos that followed when Reese missed one of the two free throws awarded after the play. But according to sources, the inappropriate comments had nothing to do with that specific moment.
“We are aware of the allegations of inappropriate fan conduct during yesterday’s game and we are working closely with the WNBA to complete their investigation,” said Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Mel Raines in a statement. “We stand firm in our commitment to providing a safe environment for all WNBA players.”
That’s what eventually led to the WNBA’s “No Space for Hate” initiative ahead of the 2025 season. But judging by the reactions to the most recent viral post, it’s clear the message still hasn’t landed with everyone.
What happened outside the locker room?
According to a viral clip, fans were seen cheering for Sky players as they came running out of the locker room. But what really struck a chord on social media was one particular cheer from a fan.
“I’m sorry, did I just hear the N-word passed to Angel?” penned one user. That comment quickly turned the replies into a courtroom, with spectators acting as judges and jury. Since the cheers in the video were quite loud, fans began forming their own interpretations of what was actually said.
“Stop, he clearly said ‘Milla.’ You’re too grown to be messy,” countered another user, calling out the unnecessary speculation.
Well, this isn’t exactly new. Angel Reese, a.k.a. the Chi-Town Barbie, has faced her share of online hate for quite some time now. In fact, the 23-year-old Maryland native opened up about it in the September 2024 episode of her podcast, Unapologetically Angel, revealing that the harassment has escalated far beyond internet trolling.
So, the assumptions around what that fan said made sense to many. “I thought that at first too, and I was like OMG. But I think he says ‘Kamilla,’” added another user. According to Reese, the hate has reached such extreme levels that she has received death threats, been followed to her home, and even targeted with explicit, AI-generated images. The harassment got so severe that she felt the only way to cope was to delete her Instagram account.
“It’s stuff like this that perpetuates the hate and discourse. SMH,” added another spectator. While criticism can come from across the league, Reese emphasized that much of the disrespect she receives seems to come from Caitlin Clark’s fan base. Still, she made her stance on Clark crystal clear. “I think there’s a lot of racism when it comes to it, and I don’t believe [Clark] stands on any of that,” Reese said. And she’s right. Both Clark and Reese have repeatedly shut down rumors of any personal rivalry, yet fans continue to spin their own narratives.
This was exactly what happened with the viral clip—fans took it and ran with a false assumption. But fortunately, others stepped in to correct the narrative. “Yells for Kamilla as she runs by. She looks at him and extends a hand and smile,” wrote another user while posting a photo of the fan extending his hand toward Kamilla Cardoso.
So yes, while the criticism exists, it’s reassuring to see many spectators not buying into the drama. And that’s important—especially with the WNBA heading into 2025 with a renewed focus on “combating hate and promoting respect across all WNBA spaces — from online discourse to in-arena behavior.”
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