Cheryl Reeve, the veteran head coach, secured an Olympic gold medal without Caitlin Clark on her roster, despite months of tension and coldness toward the rookie superstar leading up to the Paris Games. However, Reeve finally had her chance to even the score with Clark on Saturday night, and she did so with some help from a group of inconsistent WNBA officials.
Surprisingly, before claiming victory, the 57-year-old coach offered the 22-year-old phenom some overdue recognition. It was a notable shift from Reeve’s previous stance during the Team USA selection process, where she was adamant that Clark, despite being the No. 1 overall pick, did not deserve a spot on the Olympic team during her rookie season. While there was some merit to Reeve’s decision at the time—Clark had a slow start to the year—she has since blossomed into one of the league’s brightest stars.
As Clark’s game matured, it became clear that Team USA, which struggled with shooting in France, could have benefited from her presence. The real issue, however, wasn’t the roster decision itself but Reeve’s dismissive attitude when questioned about it.
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Reeve’s demeanor was notably frosty whenever Clark’s name came up, especially after humbling losses to the Indiana Fever and the WNBA All-Star team. Despite leading Team USA to gold, there are growing calls for a change in leadership before the 2028 Olympics. With young stars like Caitlin Clark, Juju Watkins, Angel Reese, Cam Brink, and Paige Bueckers likely to be on the roster, many believe they would thrive under a different coach.
Still, credit where it’s due—Reeve won the gold with the world’s best roster, as expected. But in a surprising turn of events, she softened her stance on Caitlin Clark before Saturday’s rematch between her Minnesota Lynx and Clark’s Indiana Fever. The game marked the first time the two faced off since the Olympic break, and Reeve, perhaps sensing a shift in the winds, finally had kind words for Clark before tipoff. It was a stark contrast to her previous comments and the most praise she’s publicly given the league’s biggest star.
Maybe karma was on Reeve’s side that night. After losing twice to Clark earlier in the year—once with the Lynx and once with Team USA—Reeve’s Lynx managed to even the score on Saturday. The win clinched a playoff berth for Minnesota, extending their winning streak to six games.
Clark, as usual, did her best to lead Indiana to victory, dazzling with her signature moves and breaking ankles (figuratively) along the way. She finished the game with a team-high 23 points, eight assists, and five rebounds, making history as the fastest player in WNBA history to surpass 500 points and 200 assists.
However, the game wasn’t without controversy. The officiating left much to be desired, particularly when it came to calls involving Clark. In one instance, a minor contact play was called a foul against the Lynx, while a similar play involving the Fever went uncalled. Such inconsistencies have become a frustratingly common theme in games involving Clark, and they were on full display Saturday night.
Despite her impressive performance, Indiana fell to 13-16 on the season.
Meanwhile, Cheryl Reeve managed to get one back against her former critic, thanks in part to some questionable officiating and a newfound, albeit belated, respect for the young star.
