INDIANAPOLIS— Elements that stoke a rivalry are proximity and irritation, sparks and results, controversy and history. The Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky have all the makings in the WNBA.

This rivalry is not up there with Red Sox-Yankees, Bears-Packers, or Celtics-Lakers just yet, but give it time.

Let’s just say Fever-Sky is working its way up to that status following Sunday’s 91-83 Indiana victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in front of another sellout crowd of 17,274.

This was the second time this season the 5-10 Fever bested the 4-9 Sky in Indy and the second time one thing been discussed when it was over was the Sky accidentally-on-purpose whacking Fever 6-foot rookie guard Caitlin Clark to the floor.

This time, Clark’s old rival Angel Reese, a 6-3 rookie forward with Chicago whom she tangled with in college during her Iowa games versus Reese’s Louisiana State teams in the NCAAs and before that when Reese was with Maryland in the Big Ten, was the who-me culprit.

As Clark drove to the basket, Reese bonked her on the head and sent her flying. The officials ruled the foul a flagrant one, essentially giving Clark an extra free throw.

The last time the teams met June 1, when Indiana also hung on to win, 71-70, Sky guard Chennedy Carter body-checked Clark, unlike Reese’s contact, not even during live action, and sent her flying. The refs did not call a flagrant foul, and it was not until Indy coach Christie Sides sent game film to the league that the incident was upgraded to a flagrant foul.

Post-game, Reese disassembled that her hit was just a basketball play within context. In neither instance did Clark, who has been scrutinized with lasers every second since being drafted No. 1 overall following her record-breaking college career, sass back.

It might have been better for the rivalry if Clark had trash-talked, but she verbally shrugged off both cases. Might have been more fun the other way, but she chose the wise course and instead has observers describing her as classy.

Given Clark’s high-profile moments signing autographs for little kids and being the wardrobe engine that fuels the W with her jersey sales, the high road is the best highway for her.

As is often the advice of coaches when temper-stoking moments arise, Clark showed ‘em on the court. The Sunday game may have been Clark’s best all-around performance during the team’s first 15 games of the season. She scored 23 points, shot 7-of-11 from the floor, grabbed 8 rebounds, and passed off for 9 assists.

That is the sweetest type of revenge. The teams are closely matched and the Fever is 2-0. Three other Fever players scored in double figures, center Aliyah Boston (19 points, 14 rebounds), guard Kelsey Mitchell (17 points) and forward NaLyssa Smith (15 points.

Those Clark assists represent passes to them leading to easier buckets. Clark was renowned for her court vision in college and set records for assists, as well as points, for the Hawkeyes.

What was on display at Gainbridge is how the point guard has adapted recently and how everyone benefits from the growing smoothness of the offense.

After a stressful, brutal early schedule, which had the Fever facing the New York Liberty and Connecticut Sun too many times and getting pummeled by both of them a combined six times, the Fever went 4-2 through Sunday.

Boston, the previous No. 1 draft pick out of South Carolina, who recorded her second straight double-double, and Clark, now show instinctive understanding of where they will be on the court. Before, as Clark put it, sometimes the ball “got sticky” on offense, not moving well. Now the “O” flows.

“They’re learning each other,” Sides said. “It just doesn’t happen overnight.”

Sides, previously a six-year assistant coach for the Sky, has said the rivalry between the two Midwest teams was strong before and is showing all of the old signs of revival.

This time, Sides was satisfied with how the hit on Clark was noted in real time by the officials without a need to appeal to higher authority.

“The right call was made in the moment,” Sides said of Reese’s head hit.

It was and it was a flagrant foul. Unless you ask Reese, who post-game said, “I guess some people got a special whistle.” That was her touche response.

The next chapter of Indiana-Chicago is June 23. Or as some might view it, the next chapter of Clark versus Reese.

“I think it’s been really good for the game,” Clark said of the hype surrounding the two rookies’ meetings.

As long as they keep their eyes on the ball, not their hands on the head.