Angel Reese Mocked Caitlin Clark’s Flop and It Was as Extra as You’d Expect

Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark were at it again Thursday night. And by at it, I mean Reese saw a whistle go against her and decided the best defense was a cartoonish impression of whatever Clark was doing with her arms and face right before contact happened.

It was early in the second quarter of the Dream-Fever rematch in Atlanta. Clark, bringing the ball up, seemed to be setting up for a screen or cutting through the lane. Reese bumped into her. Clark threw her arms up. The official called a foul on Reese. And Reese, already a professional at turning a ref’s call into performance art, stared around in disbelief before mimicking Clark’s exact reaction — screwed-up face, tongue out, the whole exaggerated flop routine.

ClutchPoints caught it on video and posted it. It spread fast. Because of course it did.

Look, nobody’s confused about what’s happening here. These two have been locked in a rivalry since their college days, and the WNBA has only amplified it. Reese leans into the villain role. Clark plays the sharpshooting foil. Fans pick sides like it’s a draft lottery. Thursday’s moment was just the latest installment of a show that keeps delivering even when the game itself is still in the first half.

A brief history of the beef

This isn’t the first time Reese has poked fun at Clark’s on-court theatrics. She’s done it before. Clark, for her part, usually shrugs it off or fires back with a three-pointer. Last month the Fever beat the Dream 83-71, and Clark had the last laugh that night. The Dream came into Thursday’s game hot though, having won three of their last four. A win would snap Indiana’s four-game winning streak.

Reese, now in her first season with Atlanta after being traded from Chicago, is having a quietly excellent year. She entered Thursday averaging 14.6 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game, shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 75.3 percent from the free-throw line. Through two quarters she had eight points, five boards, and one assist. Nothing flashy. But solid enough to remind everyone why she’s a two-time All-Star.

The bigger picture

Rivalries sell tickets. They drive engagement. And with the WNBA leaning into marketability the way it has the last couple of seasons, moments like this one aren’t just funny — they’re fuel. Whether you think Reese crossed a line or Clark flopped like she always does, the result is the same: people are talking. And the league is fine with that.

As for the game itself, the Dream were looking for revenge. The Fever were trying to keep their streak alive. And two of the league’s most polarizing players were in the middle of it all, one of them now immortalized mid-mock on Twitter. Typical Thursday in the WNBA.