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WNBA star Angel Reese opened up about her fear of the media, claiming she would rather pay a fine than talk to reporters.
The Chicago Sky player and arch-rival of Caitlin Clark spoke about his thoughts on interacting with the media on the latest episode of her podcast, “Unapologetically Angel,” this week.
“Even before the game, I’m afraid of what the media is going to ask. Because it could be the best question, but it will be turned or put in a different light or a different perspective. It’s like: ‘Are you here on purpose to start a mess, or are you here on purpose to ask a question?’ And it’s really hard for me in the media, like I don’t want to do an interview with anybody,” Reese said.
“Seriously, I’d rather take the fine sometimes than talk to the media because it always gets turned around. And I think that’s where the media has come these days. You could literally post ‘the sky is blue’ and Angel said ‘it’s too dark’. You know, stuff like that. So I think it’s just to me that the media is really scary.”
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Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese walks to the locker room after being ejected from a WNBA basketball game against the New York Liberty in the second half, Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Reese has been the subject of intense media attention dating back to the 2023 NCAA women’s national basketball championship game, when her LSU Tigers beat Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes, and Reese taunted Clark by pointing her ring finger at the end of the game.
Reese has arguably become the most controversial figure in women’s basketball since then. Many of Reese’s own quotes and statements have often been at the center of controversy in the sport.
Heading into the 2025 WNBA season in September, Reese received backlash for comments to a Chicago Tribune reporter in which the star called her team a last-place finish and a 10-34 record.
“I don’t settle for the same — we did this year,” Reese told The Chicago Tribune. “We’ve got to get good players. We’ve got to get good players. That’s a non-negotiable for me. I’m willing and want to play with the best. And wherever I can help get the best here, that’s what I’m going to do this offseason. So it’s going to be very, very important this offseason to make sure we attract the best that we can this year.”
“I’m very vocal about what we need and what I want. I want to be here for my career, but if things don’t work out, of course I have to move in another direction and do what’s best for me. But while I’m here, I’ll try to stay open to what I have here and maximize it as much as I can.”
Reese later apologized for the comments, but claims the quotes were taken out of context.
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“I’m probably frustrated [with] myself right now,” Reese said in a postgame press conference on Sept. 4. “I think the language was taken out of context. I really didn’t mean to put my teammates down because they’ve been through this with me all year. They’ve busted their ass, just like I’ve busted mine. They have appeared for me through thick and thin, and in the dressing room when no one could see a thing.
“So I want to apologize to my teammates that I already have about the article and how it was misconstrued about what was said. And I just have to be better with my language. Because I know it’s not the message, it’s the messenger. And understanding what I’m saying can be taken either way. So I just really have to get better and grow from this.”
Reese was then suspended for the first half of a game later that week for “statements detrimental to the team.”
Back in May, Reese was at the center of a WNBA investigation into “hateful” comments made against her during the Sky’s season opener against Clark’s Connecticut Fever.
Reese was asked if she was able to provide the WNBA with details about the incident. She did not elaborate on whether she had done so, saying “that’s not a question from me.” She also did not reveal what type of comments were made or other details about what prompted the investigation.
But moments earlier, in the same availability with reporters, Reese said she received widespread support from around the league because of the alleged incident.
“Obviously there’s no place in this league for that,” Reese said at the time. “I think the WNBA and our team and our organization have done a great job of supporting me… Going through this whole process, if it can happen to me, it can happen to anybody.”
So after the investigation ended the following week, the league did not find sufficient evidence to confirm the allegations.
Reese has previously accused Clark’s fans of racism and even claimed they created AI-generated explicit images of the Sky star and sent them to her family members.
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) dribbles against the Minnesota Lynx in the first quarter at Target Center. (Brad Rempel-Imagn Photos)
“I think it’s really just the fans, her fans, the Iowa fans, now the Indiana fans, who are really fair, they’re riding for her, and I respect that with respect. But sometimes it’s very disrespectful. I think there’s a lot of racism when it comes to that.” Reese said in the first episode of her podcast in early September.
“Several times people have made AI pictures of me naked. They’ve sent it to my family members. My family members are like uncles and send it to me like, ‘Are you naked on Instagram?’
