Angel Reese had an eventful night on national television as the Atlanta Dream hosted Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. Reese missed 6 of her first 7 shots, but Atlanta remained tied 21-21 after the first quarter. She improved in the second quarter, making 2-of-3 shots as the Dream took a 44-40 halftime lead.
During a live ESPN halftime interview with Holly Rowe, Reese used an expletive while criticizing her own slow start, and the word aired uncensored. The game later produced another widely shared moment when Reese missed a potential game-winning putback at the end of regulation before Indiana won 95-91 in overtime.
What happened during the ESPN interview
ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe interviewed Reese at halftime with Atlanta leading Indiana 44-40. Reese was candid about her difficult start, saying, “I was playing like s— in the beginning,” before explaining that she needed to move past it and trust her teammates.
Reese credited Allisha Gray, Madina Okot, and Rhyne Howard with helping Atlanta stay in the game. When Rowe asked what allowed her to settle down, Reese said she was taking her time and trusting her work.
The expletive aired uncensored during the live ESPN interview, and clips subsequently circulated on social media, prompting both criticism and amusement from viewers. Others felt the network should have caught the mistake sooner.
Angel Reese’s rocky start to the game
Reese endured a difficult opening quarter, missing 6 of her first 7 field-goal attempts. Despite her struggles, Atlanta stayed even with Indiana and ended the first quarter tied 21-21. Turnovers piled up quickly as Atlanta fell behind early in the contest.
Reese improved in the second quarter, making 2 of 3 shots for 5 points. She picked up her third personal foul with 1:31 remaining before halftime, but remained productive on the glass. Her visible frustration showed clearly on the court and on camera.
By the break, Reese had 7 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 turnovers. Her stronger second quarter helped Atlanta recover from its uneven start and take a 44-40 lead into halftime. The slow start eventually set up a dramatic turnaround later in the half.
How Atlanta rallied before halftime
Reese found more success in the second quarter and helped Atlanta close the half with momentum. She scored 5 points in the period as the Dream recovered from a 36-27 deficit and finished the half on a 17-4 run to take a 44-40 lead.
Reese reached halftime with 7 points and a game-high 9 rebounds. Allisha Gray led all scorers with 17 points, while Madina Okot contributed 6 points and 6 rebounds off the bench.
Indiana struggled from long range in the first half, making 3 of 13 3-point attempts. The Fever also shot 3 of 8 from the free-throw line, while Atlanta’s late surge turned a second-quarter deficit into a 4-point halftime advantage.
The missed shot that forced overtime
The score was tied 81-81 when Atlanta received the ball for its final possession with 13.3 seconds remaining in regulation. Rhyne Howard missed a 25-foot 3-pointer, but Reese grabbed the offensive rebound and had a close-range opportunity to win the game.
Reese’s putback missed with about 3 seconds remaining. Naz Hillmon grabbed the offensive rebound and attempted another close-range shot just before the buzzer, but that attempt also missed.
Atlanta’s 3 misses on the final possession sent the game to overtime. Indiana then outscored the Dream 14-10 in the extra period to secure a 95-91 victory.
Fan backlash follows the live-TV expletive
Reese’s uncensored expletive drew criticism from some viewers after the halftime interview aired on ESPN. Social media posts criticized both Reese’s language and the network for failing to censor the remark, with some viewers specifically citing children who might have been watching.
Other users called for the WNBA to fine or discipline Reese over the incident. As of the latest reporting, however, the league had not announced a fine or other punishment connected to the halftime interview.
The moment was covered by multiple sports and entertainment outlets, along with Reese’s late miss and Clark’s reaction. Online attention was significant, but there isn’t enough reliable data to rank it among the week’s most discussed sports clips.
Fun fact: Clark and Reese first faced each other in college on Feb. 23, 2021, as freshmen, with Reese’s Maryland team defeating Clark’s Iowa twice that season, including in the Big Ten Championship game.
Caitlin Clark’s reaction goes viral online
ESPN cameras showed Reese visibly frustrated after her missed putback as teammates consoled her before overtime. Clark appeared in the background, walking toward the bench with a smile while looking in Reese’s direction.
The footage quickly circulated online, but the video alone does not establish why Clark was smiling. She could have been reacting to Reese, relieved that Atlanta had failed to score, or responding to something else happening on the court.
One widely shared clip surpassed 4 million views in less than 12 hours, adding another round of online discussion around the two players’ competitive history. The ongoing rivalry between the two stars only grew louder online.
Final stats and the overtime result
Indiana outscored Atlanta 14-10 in overtime to secure a 95-91 victory. Clark finished with 26 points, 9 assists, 3 rebounds and 5 turnovers while shooting 9 of 20 from the field.
Reese recorded a double-double with 15 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists. Her 14 rebounds tied Indiana’s Aliyah Boston for the game high.
Sophie Cunningham celebrated her 30th birthday during the game and scored 3 points. Her 3-point play with 3:35 remaining in the fourth quarter gave Indiana a 78-77 lead. Clark later made 2 free throws with 9.8 seconds remaining in overtime to seal the 95-91 win.
The competitive history continues to draw attention
Reese and Clark have shared a high-profile competitive history dating back to their teenage years, followed by meetings in college and the WNBA. Their matchups have generated significant media attention, although both players have previously pushed back against the idea that they personally dislike each other.
Sunday’s overtime game added another memorable sequence when Reese missed a potential game-winning putback, and cameras captured Clark smiling moments later. Indiana’s 95-91 victory left the teams tied 2-2 in their 2026 regular-season series.
That was their final scheduled regular-season meeting this year, so another Dream-Fever matchup would require the teams to meet in the playoffs. Their individual careers and competitive history are likely to remain closely followed regardless.
Little-known fact: Clark finished her college career with 3,951 points, making her the NCAA Division I career scoring leader among both men’s and women’s players.
TL;DR
- Angel Reese used an expletive during a live ESPN interview at halftime.
- She had a rough start before rallying to help Atlanta take a halftime lead.
- Reese missed a potential game-winning shot late in regulation.
- Caitlin Clark’s reaction to the miss went viral online.
- Indiana won the game in overtime, 95-91.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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