INDIANAPOLIS — Don’t call the Sky-Fever matchup a rivalry.
It’s not to the Sky’s players, anyway. They remain adamant that it’s just another game. It’s a refrain that has been repeated over the years by competitors across all sports who don’t want to set themselves up to lose.
Despite the Sky’s pushback, however, the embers being stoked between the teams are very much those of a bitter rivalry.
Chapter 2 of the revived version — featuring future All-Stars with college histories of competing for NCAA titles against each other — proved as much.
The Sky’s 91-83 loss in their second game against the Fever this season came complete with Angel Reese blowing kisses to Fever fans, top performances from both teams’ stars and another flagrant foul. This time, Reese was called for one against Fever guard Caitlin Clark as she drove to the rim.
‘‘Just a basketball play,’’ Reese said. ‘‘I can’t control the refs. They affected the game a lot [Sunday].
‘‘I’m always going for the ball, but you’re gonna play that clip 20 times before Monday.’’
In reality, the clip of Reese knocking Clark in the head as she made an attempt for the ball was played more than 20 times within the first minute it was broadcast.
By the time the game ended, one post replaying the foul had garnered more than 100,000 engagements on X. It’s another indication of the attention the Clark/Reese matchup has garnered and will continue to get at the professional level.
‘‘It’s just the emotion and passion we play with,’’ Clark said when asked why so many people tune in to see her and Reese go head-to-head. ‘‘People love to see that. That’s maybe something that wasn’t always appreciated in women’s sports, but it should be.’’
The Fever are now 2-0 against the Sky (4-9) in the Clark/Reese era.
On Friday, Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon bristled at the idea of changing her starting five after the team’s third consecutive loss. Less than 48 hours later, however, a new group opened the game against the Fever.
Chennedy Carter and Lindsay Allen replaced Diamond DeShields and Dana Evans to start the game. After scoring only 10 points in the first 10 minutes Friday against the Mystics, the Sky put up 26 in the first quarter against the Fever.
The Sky’s start, however, made no difference, with poor late-game execution plaguing them yet again.
‘‘We have to walk out on the floor and know what’s on the board,’’ Weatherspoon said. ‘‘You have to walk out and execute what’s on the board. That’s an issue that we have to take care of.’’
Reese (11 points, 13 rebounds) and fellow rookie Kamilla Cardoso (10 points, 10 rebounds) had double-doubles for the Sky. It was Reese’s sixth in a row and seventh overall. Clark, meanwhile, had her most complete game of the season to date, finishing with a game-high 23 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and two blocks.
The connection between Clark and Fever teammate Aliyah Boston, the No. 1 pick in 2023, continues to blossom. The Sky failed to contest their pick-and-roll actions all game long as they struggled with defensive rotations and sloppy fouls.
‘‘It’s important on where we are defensively every time, not sometimes,’’ Weatherspoon said. ‘‘If the ball moves, you move. Be in great position in relationship to the ball.’’
While the Fever (5-10) look like a team finding its rhythm, the Sky look like one facing a harsh reality. After starting the season 2-1 and earning a hallmark victory against the Liberty, the Sky’s youth and inexperience have them riding a four-game losing streak.
‘‘Pressure breaks pipes,’’ Reese said. ‘‘Either we’re going to sink and keep losing or we’re going to do what it takes and figure out what to do to get better.’’
