Angel Reese Criticizes The Media Amid Outcry Over Racism Directed At WNBA Players

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese  is calling out the media for how shes been publicly portrayed, amid renewed discussion about a rise in racist remarks aimed at WNBA players.

On Thursday, Reese responded to a video clip on X, formerly Twitter, that featured Connecticut Sun player Alyssa Thomas , who is Black, calling out the unprecedented number of racist comments  she said she has faced as the league has seen a record-breaking rise in viewership this 2024 season .

Reese, who is also Black, said that she had likewise experienced racist vitriol over the past two years, but was told to save the tears and stop playing victim.

In a follow-up post , she said that she will continue to speak out and use her voice in the right way. In another post , she accused the media of benefiting from her pain.

For the past 2 years, the media has benefited from my pain & me being villainized to create a narrative, she wrote. They allowed this. This was beneficial to them. I sometimes share my experiences of things that have happened to me but Ive also allowed this to happen to me for way too long and now other players in this league are dealing with & experiencing the same things.

Reese expressed empathy for those who have encountered similar issues, sharing that she began her new weekly podcast, Unapologetically Angel,  to create the narrative of who I really am.

At the end of the day, I dont want an apology nor do I think this will ever stop but something has to change, she added on X.

On Wednesday, Thomas had said in a postgame interview after the Sun defeated the Indiana Fever eliminating the team from the 2024 WNBA playoffs that shes seen a surge in racist comments from league fans on social media.

In my 11-year career, Ive never experienced the racial comments from the Indiana Fever fanbase, she said about the Indianapolis-based franchise, which saw quite the boost in popularity with the addition of star rookie Caitlin Clark.

Ive never been called the things that Ive been called on social media, and theres no place for it, Thomas said. Basketball is headed in a great direction, but, nah, we dont want fans that are going to degrade and call us racial names.

Clark and Reese have been frequently pitted against each other since their college basketball days, but both players have publicly shut down rumors of a personal feud.

Many sports fans have called out online attacks against Reese, arguing that she has been harshly criticized for her trash talk during games, while white male players and white female players such as Clark are typically treated differently for similar conduct .

Fox Sports 1 show Speak co-host Joy Taylor said during an April broadcast that Reese didnt make herself the villain in womens basketball.

She showed up unapologetically herself in the same way that men do all the time, Taylor said. She also said that what Reese experiences is not the same thing as what everyone is experiencing.

The Sky player revealed publicly at the time that she had received death threats , among other types of online abuse.

During a press conference  Friday, Clark condemned any racist comments from WNBA fans, calling the situation definitely upsetting. 

Those arent fans; those are trolls, she said.

The WNBA on Wednesday released a statement  saying it would not tolerate racist, derogatory, or threatening comments made about players, teams and anyone affiliated with the league.

The league said that its actively monitoring threat-related activity and would address the issue by taking appropriate measures, to include involving law enforcement, as necessary.