Angel Reese has quickly become one of the most talked-about young stars in the WNBA. With her confident attitude, elite rebounding

But after such a strong performance in the Chicago Sky’s blowout loss to the reigning champion New York Liberty, one reporter asked if a stat line like that will help against the online scrutiny she’s constantly facing. For her part, Reese said she doesn’t think about it, instead choosing to focus on the support she receives in person, which is nothing but love. And before a reporter could ask a follow-up question, Reese’s teammate, Ariel Atkins, stepped in to defend her against that line of questioning.

“Can I say something? This is a 23-year-old kid,” Atkins said, via The Athletic. “And the amount of crap she gets on a day-to-day and she still shows up. Whatever questions y’all got like about our team, basketball-wise, we appreciate it, but all the other nonsense, like it’s irrelevant. This is a 23-year-old kid who handles herself with grace. Her crown is heavy.”

Atkins, a two-time All-Star and WNBA champion with the Washington Mystics, wasn’t done, either.

“(Reese) has to have a wall because if she doesn’t people will break her down,” Atkins said. “Not only because of the way she looks but because of the way she carries herself. She doesn’t just walk around and act like, ‘Oh I’m this.’ No, she knows who she is, and we ain’t going to break her down for that. So whatever other questions y’all got, like, I’m hoping it’s just about basketball, maybe a box score question, but the kid’s crown is heavy. Like respect that.”

Last month, the WNBA launched an investigation into alleged racial comments directed at Reese by fans when the Sky visited Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. But just days later, the league said it could not substantiate the claims.

When Reese and Clark met in Indiana last month, it marked their seventh head-to-head contest on the court, dating back to their college rivalry when Reese was at LSU and Clark at Iowa.

They met twice in the national championship game, with Reese’s Tigers winning the 2022-23 title and Clark’s Hawkeyes winning the rematch. The rematch drew 12.3 million viewers.

Angel Reese’s Teammate Delivers Clear Message to WNBA Fans and Media first appeared on Men’s Journal on Jun 11, 2025