Caitlin Clark is outmatched by Angel Reese as Sky defeats Fever.

Chicago Angel Reese defeated Caitlin Clark to win for the first time in their professional careers.

In spite of 17 points and a franchise-high 13 assists from Clark, Reese delivered one of his greatest games to date, leading the Chicago Sky to an exhilarating 88-87 comeback victory over the Indiana Fever on Sunday. Reese scored a career-high 25 points and pulled down 16 rebounds.

Reese extended her WNBA rookie record by recording a double-double for the eighth straight game, helping Chicago overcome a 15-point deficit in the second half to win her first-ever game against the Fever and Clark as a professional. This season, the Fever had triumphed in their prior two meetings, both held in Indianapolis.

“I come out and perform,” Reese declared following the match. “I do what it takes to win every single day.”

Reese led Chicago to a 31–15 run in the last 11:25 of the game, scoring as many points (15) and making as many field goals (5) as Indiana did in that time.

With three minutes left, Reese pulled down an offensive rebound and was fouled while making the putback to tie the score at 82. With 53 seconds left, the Sky found Reese once more for a driving layup that put Chicago ahead for good.

Reese ran exceptionally well in transition, according to Clark. She clearly had a fantastic game because she scored a few and one in transition. They most likely knew to become aggressive with us, in my opinion. They most likely witnessed [our most recent game] and noticed that we fouled them frequently—35 [free throws]—a squad like this you are not going to get away with that.”

Although Clark did not score after the 7:12 mark in the fourth quarter and only took three shots in the last frame, she tied the record for the most assists by a rookie in a double-double performance in league history.

“I’m sure there was an opportunity or two for me to probably attempt another shot there at the end, but I trust my teammates,” Clark said. “Obviously, 13 assists, that means my teammates scored off of 13 of my passes. It’s a really great number, so I’m going to give them the ball every time and give them an opportunity to score.”

Reese and Clark, two of the top rookies in this year’s WNBA class, have been intertwined because of their history in college. Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes lost to Reese and LSU in the 2023 national championship game, but avenged that defeat in the 2024 national semifinals before losing to South Carolina in the title game.

Both Clark and Reese downplayed the rivalry between their two teams entering Sunday’s anticipated matchup. Still, the game lived up the billing as one of the hottest tickets in the history of the WNBA.

Tickets to Sunday’s game at Wintrust Arena were going for an average of $351, according to Vivid Seats. Celebrities in attendance included Chicago-area rappers Chance the Rapper and Lil Durk; actor/comedian Jason Sudeikis; Knicks star Jalen Brunson; and Hall of Famer Sheryl Swoopes, who shared an extended embrace with Reese after the game — “she told me she’s proud of me,” Reese said.

“It’s good for the game, good for women’s basketball, but also good for women’s sports,” Reese said of the crowd. “You see NBA players, rappers, legends that played in the league for a great long time come out and show support. You know everybody’s watching right now.

“I think this is one of the most important times right now, and we just continue to keep putting on. I think both teams tonight did an amazing job putting on a show. It was fun. I had a great time, I’m sure the other team had a great time. I’m just happy we won tonight.”

Guard Kelsey Mitchell of the Fever, who joined the league in 2018, said that the atmosphere created a unique moment in women’s basketball history even if the team lost.

The United Center was scheduled to host concerts on Friday, Saturday (Justin Timberlake), and Sunday (Russ), therefore Sunday’s game could not be held there, despite the fact that numerous Fever games this season have been shifted to larger venues due to great demand for tickets to see Clark.

Nevertheless, all 9,872 seats at Wintrust Arena were booked.

Mitchell remarked, “It was an amazing moment to be a part of today.” “I think this was a good atmosphere for us—you guys, the media, the supporters, your family, the little ones. I believe that today’s women’s basketball game saw a significant advancement overall.”

The Fever’s winning run of four games was likewise ended by the Sky.

Chicago ended a four-game losing slide with back-to-back victories.

“That losing streak definitely spoke a lot for us, hard times in the locker room, hard conversations in the locker room,” Reese said. “But being able to take that, everybody looked in the mirror and figured out what to do to get better. It doesn’t stop here, two-game win streak, we gotta keep going.”