Reese and Clark deliver with stars on hand for the latest match between Sky and Fever

CHICAGO (AP) — Angel Reese just had the best performance of her young career, helping the Chicago Sky get past the Indiana Fever and old college rival Caitlin Clark on Sunday.

There was one more thing that had to happen before he left the court. She shared a hug with Naismith Hall of Famer Sheryl Swoopes, a huge supporter of hers and one of many celebrities in a sold-out crowd.

“She talked to me before I even put my name in the draft, and she told me she believed in me,” Reese said. “Having that person in my corner is something that I’ve always needed. She understands me, she knows what I’ve been through, what I’m going through.”

A game featuring some of the WNBA’s brightest young stars, widely presented nationally.

Reese had her best performance, scoring a career-high 25 points with 16 rebounds to help the Sky rally from 15 down to defeat the Fever 88–87. She extended her WNBA rookie record streak of double-doubles to eight games.

She is the first rookie since A’ja Wilson with more than 25 points and more than 15 rebounds in a single game, and she and Wilson are the only players in the league this season to have multiple games with at least 15 points and 15 rebounds. .

Clark, meanwhile, finished with 17 points and a franchise-record 13 assists. She made five threes and grabbed six rebounds, but the Fever couldn’t hang on after winning their previous four games.

It was 84-all when Reese scored off the post to put Chicago in front for good with just under a minute left after a timeout, drawing a big roar from the crowd.

“I think people are just really excited to see this game and anticipate it,” Clark said. “It’s obviously two WNBA teams in the Midwest, where I grew up. I think people in this environment are just really excited about this matchup. You just felt it coming on the bus.”

Clark saw lines of fans — many wearing her Iowa or Indiana jerseys — outside the arena hours before tipoff.

An hour before tipoff, courtside seats on Ticketmaster were worth $5,000, and Chicago native Chance The Rapper, comedian Jason Sudeikis and New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson were all part of the sold-out crowd. Swoopes received a standing ovation prior to the fourth quarter.

In the first month of the season, the WNBA drew its highest attendance since the league’s second season in 1998. Some games have been moved to larger arenas to meet increased demand. ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, CBS, ION and NBA TV ratings hit all-time highs, averaging 1.32 million viewers and nearly tripling last season’s average of 462,000.

“I love it,” Reese said. “I love it for women’s sports, because there hasn’t been a sold-out crowd there for a long time. Being able to do this and be here at this moment and continue to grow women’s basketball is the most important thing to me.”

Clark and Reese met in the NCAA tournament the past two seasons, with LSU beating Iowa in the championship game and the Hawkeyes getting revenge this year in the Elite Eight. Their first two games as professionals featured a different kind of drama than what unfolded on Sunday.

There was a hip check by guard Chennedy Carter on Clark away from the ball on an inbounds play during Indiana’s 71-70 victory on June 1. Clark was knocked to the ground. Carter was called for a foul that resulted in one free throw, and the league later bumped it up to a flagrant-1.

Carter ended up on the floor again just over two weeks later, this time courtesy of Reese. Her right arm struck Clark’s head on a drive to the basket, immediately resulting in a flagrant-1. Both players dismissed it as a basketball game afterward, though Reese also complained about “calls not made” and said, “I think some people are getting a special whistle.”

Sunday’s game might have given a taste of what’s to come for the WNBA, with the celebrities and young stars performing at a high level. And it wasn’t just Reese and Clark. Chicago’s Kamilla Cardoso, the third overall pick in the draft, had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

“Both teams did a great job putting on a show tonight,” Reese said.

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