INDIANAPOLIS — The Commissioner’s Cup matchup Saturday between the Sky and Fever offered a glimpse at the WNBA’s future.
On one side of the court were Sky rookies Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, who made her WNBA debut after missing six games with a shoulder injury. On the other were the Fever’s back-to-back No. 1 overall picks, Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston.
The Fever’s 71-70 victory was as much the beginning of a new chapter in the ‘‘Best in the Midwest’’ rivalry between the teams as it was a foreshadowing of what’s to come in the WNBA.
The Aces, Liberty, Sun and Storm have the league on notice now, but the Sky and Fever soon might if all the stars align.
‘‘It’s been this rivalry for a while,’’ Fever coach Christie Sides said. ‘‘When I was in Chicago as an assistant, it was always the game that we starred. It’s exciting, these young players who have come into the league and brought all this attention.’’
In total, six top-four picks from the last four draft classes were on the court Saturday: the Sky’s Chennedy Carter, Kysre Gondrezick and Cardoso and the Fever’s NaLyssa Smith, Boston and Clark. Three more were selected in the top seven: the Sky’s Reese and the Fever’s Lexie Hull and Grace Berger.
As in any good rivalry, contentious moments surfaced — specifically on one play in the second half.
In the last 20 seconds of the third quarter, as Clark waited for the ball to be inbounded, Carter shoulder-checked her, sending her to the floor. On the broadcast replay, Carter could be seen talking to Clark as she made contact with her. The broadcast also showed Clark and Carter jawing at each other during the sequence before.
Carter was assessed an away-from-the-play personal foul, but the play wasn’t reviewed. Clark made the free throw, and the quarter ended with the Fever ahead by five.
Clark was asked about the play during ESPN’s between-quarters interview and said, ‘‘It wasn’t a basketball play.’’
Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon could be seen pulling Carter to the side at the end of the quarter, and Reese stood with them.
When asked about the play after the game, Carter responded, ‘‘Next question.’’ When pressed about what words she exchanged with Clark, she responded, ‘‘I’m not answering any Caitlin Clark questions.’’
Weatherspoon chalked up the play to two players competing. In the Fever’s media room down the hall, Sides said she couldn’t fully see the play, but her players thought it should have been reviewed. She said the Fever would send the play to the league.
‘‘I’m just really proud of her not reacting,’’ Sides said of Clark, who had 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists. ‘‘She’s a competitor, and she kept her cool. That’s exactly what she needed to do in that moment.’’
Carter finished with a game-high 19 points, six assists and four rebounds.
Both teams are far from the top echelon in the WNBA. The Fever, who haven’t made a playoff appearance since 2016, improved to 2-8 with the victory, their first at home this season. The Sky, meanwhile, have struggled to find consistency, resulting in a 3-4 start.
What’s undeniable, however, is that the Sky and Fever feature the kind of star power and skill that might result in future MVP seasons for players on both teams.
Boston, who finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and four blocks, was the 2023 Rookie of the Year. Two-plus weeks into the season, Clark leads the league in three-pointers and is fourth in assists per game. Reese, meanwhile, leads the league in offensive rebounds. Her eight offensive boards Saturday were the most in a game by any rookie in Sky history.
This rivalry has lost some of its edge through the years, but these players have the potential to bring it back. That will hinge on how the young stars develop and how the teams build around them in an effort to return to title contention.
