NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
The former NBA player, Etan Thomas, compared the Chicago sky star, Angel Reese, to a member of the “Little Rock Nine”, because the WNBA player would have had “hateful comments” who embarked on her during the defeat of the team against Indiana fever.
Thomas published a photo on his account on social networks on Monday, describing Reese as one of the nine black schoolgirls who were able to attend an entirely white school in Arkansas following the 1954 Supreme Court decision which ended segregation in public schools.
CLICK HERE for more sports cover on Foxnews.com
The Indiana Natasha Howard fever striker, # 6, keeps the sky striker of Chicago Angel Reese, # 5, on Saturday May 17, 2025 during a match between Indiana fever and Chicago sky in Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Grace Smith / Indystar / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
The photo showed Reese superimposed in the emblematic black and white photo known as “Scream Image”. He showed that Elizabeth Eckford, 15, shouted on his way to school. The painting represented the bravery that Eckford showed by entering the Little Rock Central High School.
“It’s like that for Angel Reese since the 2023 NCAA tournament when his tigers LSU beat Caitlin Clark and Iowa Hawkeyes in the national championship match,” wrote Thomas on X.
The WNBA would have investigated racial insults that would have been directed against Reese in the match on Saturday. The League had no details on what would have happened during the match at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
“The WNBA firmly condemns racism, hatred and discrimination in all forms – they do not have their place in our league or in society. We are aware of the allegations and examine the issue,” the league said in a statement.
Dave Portnoy Slams Wnba as a league investigation on “hateful comments” towards Angel Reese
Chicago Angel Reese’s sky striker, n ° 5, responds to the crowd after a basketball match of the WNBA exhibition against Brazil in Red Baton, Louisiana, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP photo / Gerald Herbert)
The Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) also published a statement.
“The WNBPA is aware of the hateful comments reports in yesterday’s match in Indianapolis and supports the WNBA’s current investigation into this issue,” said the union. “Such behavior is unacceptable for our sport.
“As part of the WNBA” No Space for Hate “policy, we trust the League to invest carefully and take fast and appropriate measures to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.”
Reese and Clark had an animated exchange during the match, but the two players said it was a “basketball game” and nothing more.
Reese’s confidence in her abilities and her desire to support them made her one of the most spoken athletes in the WNBA.
The Indiana Caitlin Clark fever goalkeeper, n ° 22, and the Chicago Sky Angel Reese striker, # 5, shake hands before the match at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on May 17, 2025. (Images of Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn)
She finished second in the recruit of the year of the WNBA, obtained a MVP vote from the WNBA and finished her first year with the sky on average a double-double.
