Angel Reese told reporters Monday she deserves credit for the boom in women’s basketball, but her tone turned off many fans, who blasted her remarks.
The WNBA fined the Chicago Sky rookie Sunday for skipping the postgame media session after Saturday’s game against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. One play in that game became the biggest story in U.S. sports over the weekend when Sky guard Chennedy Carter knocked down Clark away from the ball. Video showed Reese leaping from the bench to cheer the play.
That incident fueled rampant debate on social media and then on sports talk shows Monday. Many people pointed out that the WNBA must do a better job protecting Clark, who is widely credited with fueling the surge in TV ratings, attendance, and general interest in women’s basketball.
“It all started with the national championship game,” Reese said, referring to the 2023 NCAA title game between LSU and Iowa matching Clark against Reese. “I’ve been dealing with this for two years now.”
“And understanding, ‘Yeah, negative things have probably been said about me, but honestly, I’ll take that because look where women’s basketball is. People are talking about women’s basketball that you would never think would be talking about women’s basketball. People are pulling up to games, we’ve got celebrities coming to games, sold-out arenas, just because of one single game.
“Just looking at that, I’ll take that role, I’ll take the bad-guy role and I’ll continue to take that on … I know I’ll go down in history, I’ll look back in 20 years and be like, ‘Yeah, the reason why we’re watching women’s basketball is not just because of one person, it’s because of me, too,’ and I want y’all to realize that.”
Reese makes a valid point in that more than one person has helped spur interest in the sport. For example, ratings for the 2023 WNBA Finals hit a 20-year high, months before Clark joined the league. And there’s no question Reese’s showdown with Clark in that 2023 national title game brought a spotlight to the sport.
So yes, many people, including Reese, have played a role. But is it wrong to give Clark the lion’s share of that credit? Many fans on social media believe Reese needs a reality check.
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.