Caitlin Clark’s Historic Triple-Double: Indiana Fever Humiliate Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky

The long-awaited WNBA regular season opener between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky was billed as a showdown, fanned by the media-fueled rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. But when the final buzzer sounded, any sense of equality had vanished. Clark, after a seven-month hiatus from organized play, not only answered every off-season question—she rewrote the opening night record books and left Angel Reese and the Sky grasping for answers.

Clark Unleashes a Performance for the Ages

From the very start, Caitlin Clark looked like a player transformed by the weight of expectation and hunger for the new season. As the ball tipped, gone were the hesitations of her rookie moments; instead, she played with the confidence and creative freedom that defined her college days at Iowa. Her first three-pointer splashed with authority. Her no-look passes left defenders statuesque, and she competed on the boards with both energy and intelligence.

By halftime, Clark was flirting with history: seven points, six rebounds, and seven assists while orchestrating the Fever attack with surgical precision. Indiana led by 19, and what began as a highly-anticipated matchup quickly morphed into a statement performance. The second half wasn’t about winning; it was about what kind of record books Clark would tear through.

Clark completed her triple-double—the first ever by any player in a WNBA season opener—with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Only two seasons into her pro career, Clark had already done what legends like Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker, and Sue Bird never accomplished.

Total Domination—and a Statement Win

But Clark was far from the lone story. This Indiana team wasn’t just the Caitlin Clark show; it was a display of what true chemistry and depth can look like. Guarded by a stifling, well-coordinated Fever defense, Chicago shot a dismal 29.1% from the field. They finished with just 58 points, their lineup scrambling for answers as Indiana’s defenders rotated, communicated, and swarmed every possession.

Aaliyah Boston anchored the paint with a shot-blocking clinic, tying a career high with five blocks, including several against her former college teammate, Chicago’s Camila Cardoso. Boston’s timing, anticipation, and intimidation altered countless more shots than the box score captured.

Off the bench, Lexi Hull harnessed the Fever fan base with her trademark grit, scrambling for loose balls, knocking down shots, and snatching rebounds. Veterans like Natasha Howard (15 points, 5 rebounds) and Kelsey Mitchell (15 points) rounded out a balanced attack. And amid the blowout, two clutch free throws from DeWanna Bonner moved her into third on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list—a massive achievement that stood in stark contrast to the social-media fixation on Clark-Reese drama.

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Manufactured Rivalry or One-Sided Reality?

If this is a rivalry, it’s not one Clark seems interested in fueling. While Reese and commentators have leaned into the narrative for months, Clark has routinely made it about basketball first. Even as questions about “bad blood” or “trash talk” swirled, Clark emphasized preparation, team play, and the joy of competition in her postgame comments.

Contrast that with the other side. Reese played hard, as always, grabbing 17 rebounds, but her and the Sky’s offensive game crashed into Indiana’s defensive wall. After a hard foul by Clark on a transition play near the end of the third quarter—which referees controversially upgraded to a flagrant after video review—Reese charged toward Clark, tensions boiling. Yet Clark simply walked away, refusing to engage, and the Fever responded as a unit—a 12–2 run after the incident definitively snuffed out any Chicago hope.

For the remainder of the contest, Reese disappeared from the stat sheet. Her presence was most notable in the drama, not the basketball. “Basketball play, refs got it right, let’s move on,” she offered after the game, but fans and analysts couldn’t help but notice who handled the moment with composure and who let emotions dictate their spotlight.

A Team Arrives—And Humiliates the Hype

Perhaps the most telling statistic: Despite not playing their “best game,” as multiple Fever players admitted post-game, Indiana still throttled a full-strength Sky squad by 35 points. Seven months of Clark’s discipline, recovery, and anticipation paid off as she ran the offense, squared up for rebounds, and delivered daggers from deep.

“Did we play our best game today? I would say we didn’t,” said one Fever vet in a postgame interview. “The fact that we didn’t and still destroyed Chicago from start to finish—that sets a new standard.”

Inside the Fever locker room, it was jubilation. Veterans embraced rookies. Coach Stephanie White delivered an emotional speech. Clark, Boston, and Bonner all received accolades for their historic marks. There was a sense of purpose: this wasn’t just winning—it was a declaration that Indiana belonged in every conversation about WNBA contenders.

Meanwhile in Chicago: Silence and Shell-Shock

The Sky’s locker room was eerily quiet. Reese brushed aside the flagrant foul storyline, but there was no denying the wound the defeat opened up. After all off-season of hype, the Sky were never in the contest; their offense stymied, their defense porous, their composure fleeting. The much-touted “rivalry” was exposed as marketing more than reality.

And the numbers didn’t lie: no other recent WNBA season opener has ended in such embarrassment for the loser—or such achievement for the winner.

What Comes Next?

Indiana’s emphatic win, built on a record-setting triple-double, a defensive masterpiece, and a genuine chemistry, sent a message to the league: The Fever aren’t just back; they’re here to contend, with or without manufactured rivalries. As for the Sky, there are major questions to answer about leadership, resilience, and whether all the noise around Angel Reese will translate to on-court accomplishment.

As the season continues, Clark’s focus remains fixed on winning, improving, and making history. Social media may buzz about “baby goat versus baby giraffe,” but if this opener is any indication, Clark and the Fever have already sprinted past their rivals—leaving only stunned silence, and the records, in their wake.