By CNN
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Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese said she will “take the bad guy role” in her rivalry with Caitlin Clark if it means continued growth for women’s basketball.
It was the first time Reese had spoken to the media since a hard-nosed game against Clark and the Indiana Fever on Saturday that has sparked continued debate ever since.
In the third quarter of a heated contest, Reese’s teammate Chennedy Carter knocked Clark down during a stoppage in play and was later charged with a flagrant foul.
Reese, who was seen clapping and hugging Carter after the hard foul on Clark, was fined for refusing to speak to the media after that game.
Reese was the subject of much scrutiny after she was seen taunting Clark following her LSU team’s victory over Clark’s University of Iowa in the 2023 NCAA championship game, though the former Hawkeye herself was quick to defend Reese’s actions.
In her first public comments since, Reese didn’t back away from her perceived role as the villain in her longstanding rivalry with Clark.
The No. 7 pick in the 2024 draft told reporters Monday: “Look where women’s basketball is. People are talking about women’s basketball that you never would think would be talking about women’s basketball.
“People are pulling up to games, we got celebrities coming to games, sold out arenas, just because of [the 2023 NCAA championship game].
“And just looking at that, I’ll take that role. I’ll take the bad guy role, and I’ll continue to take that on and be that for my teammates.”
Reese continued: “I’ll look back in 20 years and be like, ‘Yeah, the reason why we’re watching women’s basketball is not just because of one person. It’s because of me too,’ and I want y’all to realize that.
“It’s not just because of one person. A lot of us have done so much for this game, and Chennedy has been here before, obviously, but there are so many great players in this league that have deserved this for a really, really long time, and luckily, it’s coming now.”
The arrival of Clark, Reese and the rest of the highly-touted 2024 WNBA rookie class has brought with it record-breaking viewership and surging popularity for a league that has previously struggled to find a foothold in the US sports landscape.
Speaking with the media on Monday, Carter said she had “no regrets” about what happened during the team’s 71-70 loss to the Fever.
“I’m going to compete and play 100% hard no matter who it is or who we’re playing,” Carter said. “We’ve been able to take a lot of hits in the last 24, 48 hours. I’m over here smiling. I’m not complaining.
“At the end of the day, it’s all love outside of basketball. When we’re in those four lines, it’s smoke. After, it’s all love.”
In a statement on Monday, Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon said Carter’s actions were “not appropriate, nor is it what we do or who we are.”
Both teams are scheduled to play each other three more times this season.
