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WNBA star Angel Reese opened up about her fear of the media, saying she would rather pay a fine than talk to reporters.
The Chicago Sky player and Caitlin Clark’s archrival opened up about her thoughts on interacting with the media on the latest episode of her podcast, “Unapologetically Angel,” this week.
“Even before the game, I’m terrified of what the media is about to ask. Because it could be the nicest question, but it will be turned around or put in a different light or a different perspective. It’s like, ‘Are you here intentionally to start a mess, or are you here intentionally to ask a question?’ And it’s very difficult for me in the media, since I don’t want to do an interview with anyone,” Reese said.
“Seriously, sometimes I’d rather take the fine than talk to the media because it always turns 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’. Stuff like that you know. So I think, to me, the media is very scary.”
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Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese heads to the locker room after being ejected from a WNBA basketball game against the New York Liberty during the second half on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Reese has been the subject of intense media attention since the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball national championship, when her LSU Tigers beat Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes, and Reese mocked Clark by pointing at her ring finger at the end of the game.
Reese has become arguably 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 controversies in sports.
Heading into the 2025 WNBA season in September, Reese sparked backlash for comments made to a Chicago Tribune reporter, where the star called out her team for finishing last and having a 10-34 record.
“I’m not going to settle for the same shit we did this year,” Reese told the Chicago Tribune. “We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s non-negotiable for me. I’m willing and I want to play with the best. And however 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 of the best because we can’t settle for what we have this year.”
“I speak very clearly about what we need and what I want. I would like to be here for my career, but if things don’t go well, obviously I will have to move in a different direction and do what is best for me. But while I am here, I will try to keep an open mind about 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 is taken out of context. I really didn’t mean to belittle my teammates, because they’ve been through this with me all year. They’ve worked their asses off, just like I’ve worked my ass off. They’ve shown up for me through thick and thin, and in the locker room when no one could see anything.
“So, I want to apologize to my teammates, which I already have about the article and how what was said was misinterpreted. 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 really have to be better and grow from this.”
Reese was then suspended for the first half of a game that same week for “statements detrimental to the team.”
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 could provide the WNBA with details about the incident. He offered no details about whether he had done so, saying “that’s not my question.” He also did not disclose what type of comments were made or any other details about what prompted the investigation.
However, moments earlier, in that same availability with reporters, Reese said he was receiving widespread support from around the league due to the alleged incident.
“Obviously, there’s no place in this league for that,” Reese said at the time. “I think the WNBA, our team and our organization have done a great job supporting me… Going through this whole process, if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.”
Then, when the investigation ended the following week, the league did not find sufficient evidence to validate the accusations.
Reese has previously accused Clark’s fans of racism and even alleged that they created explicit AI-generated 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. (Images by Brad Rempel-Imagn)
“I think it’s really just the fans, her fans, the Iowa fans, now the Indiana fans, that are really running 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 his podcast in early September.
“On multiple occasions, people have created AI images of me naked. They’ve sent them to my family members. My family members are like uncles and send them to me like, ‘Are you naked on Instagram?’
