Angel Reese’s $73,439 salary just took a hit.
The WNBA fined the Chicago Sky rookie on Sunday for not making herself available to the media after the team’s 71-70 loss to the Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark on Saturday, the league announced.
The Sky organization was also fined $5,000 for “failing to ensure that all players comply with WNBA media policies.”
Saturday’s game was highly anticipated as it was the first pro matchup between Reese and Clark after their headline-grabbing college showdowns.
But the game was marred by a blindside foul on Clark by Sky guard Chennedy Carter, who hip-checked Clark at the end of the third quarter as Clark was awaiting an inbounds pass following a Carter basket.
Reese stood up from the bench and applauded after the foul.
The 22-year-old Reese became a household name after LSU’s 2023 national championship win over Clark’s Iowa squad, as she pointed to her ring finger and mocked Clark’s use of WWE star John Cena’s “You can’t see me” hand gesture.
Ahead of the teams’ rematch in the Elite Eight this year, Reese insisted there’s no real beef between her and Clark.
“I don’t think people realize it’s not personal,” Reese said in March. “Once we get out between those lines, if I see you walking down the street, it’s like, ‘Hey, girl, what’s up? Let’s hang out.’ I think people just take it like we hate each other. Me and Caitlin Clark don’t hate each other. I want everybody to understand that. It’s just a super-competitive game. Once I get between those lines, there’s no friends. I’m going to talk trash to you. I’m going to do whatever it takes to get in your head the whole entire game, but after the game, we can kick it. I don’t think people really realize that.
“That’s fine. I’ll take the villain role. I’ll take the hit for it, but I know we’re growing women’s basketball. If this is the way we’re going to do it, then this is the way we’re going to do it. You either like it or you don’t.”
After being taken No. 7 overall by the Sky in this year’s WNBA draft, Reese signed a four-year, $324,383 rookie contract.
She’s averaging 10.6 points and 8.9 rebounds through seven games.