The Sky and Fever will play four more times in the regular season.
Clark finished with a triple-double – 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists – in the season opener while Reese had 12 points and 17 rebounds.
The pair faced off four times last year in their WNBA debut seasons, with the Fever winning three of the contests. Clark was named Rookie of the Year with all but one of the 67 votes, with the other vote going to Reese.
Both players have played down the rivalry, but after heated clashes at the collegiate level – most notably in the 2023 NCAA women’s championship game – the basketball stars have been closely linked.
Ahead of the new season, the WNBA unveiled its aforementioned “No Space for Hate” campaign, aimed at targeting hate and promoting respect in women’s basketball, both online and in stadiums.
“We believe that basketball can be a unifying force – a place where people from all walks of life come together not just to watch a game, but to connect,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. “We want our arenas, and our social platforms filled with energy and fandom – not hate and vitriol.”
The league said the new venture will introduce technology to recognize hateful language used online, increase security in arenas and for teams, provide more mental health resources for players and an “alignment of core against hate.”