The WNBA dropped the hammer Sunday on the Sky.
First came news that the league had upgraded guard Chennedy Carter’s away-from-the-play personal foul on Fever rookie Caitlin Clark in the third quarter Saturday, to a Flagrant 1 foul after review.
About an hour later, the WNBA announced rookie forward Angel Reese had been fined $1,000 for failing to make herself available to the media after the Sky’s 71-70 loss.
WNBA media protocol requires teams to make two key players and each head coach available after a game following no more than a 10-minute cooling-down period. Interviews take place in a news conference-style setting, but any player not participating may be requested by in-person media to appear. That policy, which was negotiated by the players’ union, was implemented last year to replace locker room access.
After the game Saturday, Carter, rookie center Kamilla Cardoso and coach Teresa Weatherspoon were made available for interviews. Reese, however, wasn’t made available, even after multiple media members asked to speak with her.
Sky and the media: A rocky relationship
The Sky have a history of not abiding by the WNBA’s media policy. After their 86-82 loss on May 25 to the Sun, the team didn’t make players or Weatherspoon available until 30 minutes after the game ended. Delaying postgame interviews has been a common practice for the Sky through the years.
Failing to make players available is another pattern that dates to the Sky’s appearance in the 2019 playoffs. Despite media members asking to speak with her, former Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot wasn’t made available after the team’s 93-92 loss to the Aces.
After the Sky’s mass exodus of players in free agency in 2023, the media were told ownership would be available to answer questions at media day. No one showed up.
“It honestly has become the Sky’s reputation,” said Terrence Tomlin, co-founder of The Bigs, a media company based in Chicago.
Flagrent 1 foul in WNBA — what are the consequences?
Carter’s foul is a separate issue with its own implications. Players accrue points for flagrant fouls that can lead to fines and suspensions. Carter’s Flagrant 1 foul earned her one point. A player with three points faces the risk of a one-game suspension, and a player with four or more points faces a one- to two-game suspension.
When asked about the foul after game, Carter responded by saying, ‘‘Next question.’’
Carter had more to say later on the social-media platform Threads, where she criticized Clark, posting: “Beside three point shooting what does she bring to the table man.” Carter also defended Reese, who appeared to applaud Carter’s hit, calling her “my dawg fasho.”
Comparisons have been made between Carter’s foul on Clark and Sun star Alyssa Thomas’ Flagrant 2 foul on Reese on May 25, but there are differences.
Thomas committed the foul on a basketball play. Officials immediately reviewed the play, and she was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected. Carter’s foul on Clark, however, came as the players waited for the ball to be inbounded, and officials didn’t review it in the moment.
Had officials reviewed Carter’s foul at the time and upgraded it to a Flagrant 1 foul, Clark would have shot two free throws instead of one.
