Angel Reese, a star player for the Chicago Sky, has disputed a flagrant foul call made against her during a recent game against the Indiana Fever. The foul occurred when Reese’s right elbow struck the head of Caitlin Clark, the Fever’s star player, on a drive to the basket. Despite Reese’s insistence that she was simply making a basketball play, the referees upgraded the foul call to a flagrant-1 after reviewing the play.

Reese expressed her disagreement with the call, stating that she cannot control the referees and that their decisions affected the game significantly. She also mentioned that the highlight of the play would likely be replayed multiple times, which could lead to further debate about the contact Clark faces in each game.

Clark, on the other hand, downplayed the situation, saying that Reese was trying to make a play on the ball and get a block. Clark also focused on making her free throws after the foul, which she successfully did.

The incident is not the first time that Clark has been involved in a similar situation. Two weeks earlier, Sky guard Chennedy Carter hit Clark on an inbound play, resulting in a flagrant-1 call. Fever fans cheered whenever Carter or Reese were called for a foul in the rematch, which the Fever won.

Fever coach Christie Sides believed that the right call was made in the recent game, stating that the referees made the correct decision in that moment. Reese, however, disagreed, suggesting that the referees have a “special whistle” for certain players.The incident highlights the ongoing debate about the level of contact allowed in women’s professional basketball and the need for consistent officiating.