It has been a difficult few days for Sky star Angel Reese after facing alleged racist taunts in the season opener, an issue the WNBA is investigating, but she’s been grateful for support from all directions and appears eager to move forward.
She and the Sky encountered a hostile environment Saturday against the Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, and the crowd booed her during player introductions and never let up. It reached its max after Fever star Caitlin Clark committed a flagrant foul on Reese, and Reese said some of what was said crossed the line into unacceptable harassment.
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WATCH HERE“In the moment it’s hard to hear, but my support system is great,” Reese said Tuesday after practice, addressing the situation for the first time. “God has protected me in so many different ways. I’ve gone through so many different things in the past couple years of my life, but having support and love and being part of an organization that really supports me and loves me is [important].”
Reese didn’t choose to become the de facto face of the WNBA’s push to eliminate hate speech, a renewed effort ranging from social media to the arenas announced last week, and seemed more interested in talking about how her team would rebound from a 93-58 loss to open the season as it prepares for a home game Thursday against the defending champion Liberty.
She answered three questions about Indianapolis and the league’s investigation, then wanted to change the subject. Any subsequent questions prompted an interruption from a Sky staffer to redirect to other topics.
When one reporter began a question with, “Moving on from that,” Reese replied enthusiastically, “Thank you.” She had plenty to offer on tightening up angles she takes on opponents as a defender and her chemistry with Kamila Cardoso in the paint.
And that’s certainly her prerogative. Reese didn’t go looking for this fight, she has no fault in it and it’s not her responsibility to snuff out racism in WNBA venues. Her priorities are improving on the court and building her brand, and she is entitled to those pursuits without carrying the weight of this as well.
As of Tuesday, there had been no substantial development in the investigation, nor a timetable for when it might conclude. Reese was nonetheless pleased with her communication with the league and expressed confidence in how it will handle the issue.
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SIGN UP “They understand this is a priority,” she said. “There’s no place for this.”
The Sky and Fever seemed mostly unaware of any problems during the game, and Sky coach Tyler Marsh said he found out about the investigation “when everybody else did.”
He credited Reese for her composure and focus amid the turbulence.
“For her, it’s about basketball,” Marsh said. “That’s where her mind is at, and we want to be as locked in as possible to our game plan for Thursday. Angel’s a winner, she’s a competitor and she wants to be there for her teammates, and we’re certainly there for her as well.”
That’s been clear throughout. When Reese responded to Clark’s foul by going after her verbally, Marsh defended her after the game by saying she “reacted in a way that any of us would’ve reacted in a moment like that,” and veteran point guard Courtney Vandersloot had her back Tuesday as well.
“It’s a disgrace that it had to happen in this game,” she said. “It’s not the only game [where it’s happened], so we encourage the league to look into it and create a safe space for everybody that’s in this league.”
Marsh and general manager Jeff Pagliocca addressed the team after practice, and players said their talks centered on sticking together as they ride out the highs and lows of the season.
That message resonates for the Sky now more than ever as they seek to get their season on track and circle around Reese.
