Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese says the media should have done more to combat the ongoing issue of racism in women’s basketball before it reached a boiling point.
The WNBA on Wednesday condemned all “racist, derogatory or threatening comments” that have been directed toward players after Connecticut Sun All-Star Alyssa Thomas called out “racial comments from the Indiana Fever fan base” following the Sun’s series-clinching 87-81 victory over the Fever. Reese said this has been a long-standing issue, noting that she’s been the subject of racially motivated hate for some time.
Reese, however, said her pleas for accountability and action have been repeatedly ignored. “The media has benefited from my pain & me being villainized to create a narrative,” she wrote on X. “They allowed this. This was beneficial to them… Y’all a little late to the party and could have tried to put out this fire way before it started.”
In response to a video of ESPN’s Andraya Carter — where Carter said “excitement around the league is at its highest, but the racial slurs and the derogatory comments and the online bullying are also at their worst” — Reese said she’s been “going through this for the last 2 years but was told ‘save the tears’ & ‘stop playing victim.'”
Reese and Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark have frequently been pitted against each other dating back to their collegiate days at LSU and Iowa, respectively. The popularity surrounding Reese, Clark and the 2024 WNBA rookie class translated to increased viewership and support for the league, but it hasn’t always been support in good faith. In July, Reese’s mother shared racist messages aimed at her daughter from WNBA fans that claimed to support Clark.
“I sometimes share my experiences of things that have happened to me but I’ve 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 wrote on Thursday. “This isn’t OK at all. Anything beyond criticism about playing the game we love is wrong. I’m sorry to all the players that have/continue to experience the same things I have.”
Reese said she started her own podcast, “Unapologetically Angel,” to take control of her own narrative: “This is why I started my podcast. To take my voice back and create the narrative of who I really am. At the end of the day, I don’t want an apology nor do I think this will ever stop but something has to change.”
The issue of racism plaguing the WNBA resurfaced after Thomas called out “unacceptable” fan behavior.
“We’ve been professional throughout the whole entire thing,” said Thomas. “But I’ve never been called the things that I’ve been called on social media, and there’s no place for it.”
In response the WNBA issued a statement saying it is “monitoring threat-related activity” and will work with the teams and venues “to take appropriate measures, to include involving law enforcement, as necessary. … While we welcome a growing fan base, the WNBA will not tolerate racist, derogatory, or threatening comments made about players, teams and anyone affiliated with the league,” the statement added.
Contributing: Steve Gardner
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