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WNBA star Angel Reese has opened up about her fear of the media and said she would rather just pay a fine than speak to reporters.
Chicago Sky player and rival of Caitlin Clark spoke about her thoughts on interacting with the media in 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 this could be the most interesting question, but it’s going to be reversed or presented in a different light or a different perspective. It’s like, ‘Are you here intentionally to make trouble, or are you here intentionally to ask a question?’ And that’s really hard for me in the media, like I don’t want to interview anyone,” Reese said.
“Seriously, sometimes I’d rather take the fine than talk to the media because it’s always the other way around. And I think that’s where the media has gotten these days. You could literally post ‘the sky is blue’ and Angel says ‘it’s too dark’. Stuff like that, you know. So I think, for me, 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 during the second half 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 game, when her LSU Tigers beat Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes, and Reese taunted Clark by pointing to her ring finger at the end of the game.
Reese has since become arguably the most controversial figure in women’s basketball. Many of Reese’s quotes and statements have often been the center of controversy in sports.
Heading into the 2025 WNBA season in September, Reese drew backlash for comments made to a Chicago Tribune reporter, where the star called out her team for a last-place finish and a 10-34 record.
“I’m not settling for the same crap as this year,” Reese told the Chicago Tribune. “We have to have good players. We have to have great players. That’s non-negotiable for me. I’m ready and I want to play with the best. And whatever way 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 that we bring in the best of the best because we can’t settle for what we have this year.”
“I’m very vocal about what we need and what I want. I’d like to be here for my career, but if things don’t go well, obviously I’ll have to go in a different direction and do what’s best for me. But while I’m here, I’m going to try to stay open-minded about what I have here and maximize that as much as possible.”
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 intentionally mean to put my teammates down, because they went through that with me all year long. They busted their ass, just like I busted their ass. They came 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 did about the article and how it was misconstrued from 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 in all sorts of ways. So, I just really have to be better and grow from that.”
Reese was then suspended for the first half of a game later in the week for “statements detrimental to the team”.
Last May, Reese was at the center of a WNBA investigation into “hateful” comments made against her during 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 say whether she had done so, saying “it’s not a question for me.” She also did not reveal what type of comments were made or any other details about what prompted the investigation.
However, moments earlier, in the same availability to reporters, Reese said she was receiving broad support from across the league due to the alleged incident.
“Obviously there’s no room for that in this league,” Reese said at the time. “I think the WNBA and 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, once the investigation was completed the following week, the league did not find enough evidence to validate the claims.
Reese has previously accused Clark’s fans of racism and even alleged they created explicit AI-generated images of the Sky star and sent them to members of his family.
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) dribbles against the Minnesota Lynx in the first quarter at Target Center. (Brad Rempel-Imagn Images)
“I think it’s really just the fans, her fans, the Iowa fans, now the Indiana fans, who are really just, they ride for her, and I respect that, respectfully. 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.
“Many times, people have created AI images of me naked. They sent them to my family members. My family members are like uncles, they send it to me like, ‘Are you naked on Instagram?’
