Angel Reese said earlier this year that she is willing to “take on the bad guy” in the interest of “growing women’s basketball.”
Now, however, the Chicago Sky star believes this approach has “backfired on me.”
The WNBA issued a statement Wednesday evening saying it “will not tolerate racist, derogatory or threatening comments” toward anyone affiliated with the league after being called out by Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas about hate speech directed at her and others players on social media. .
Read more: WNBA says it won’t tolerate racism after Alyssa Thomas calls out league: ‘There’s no place for it’
On Thursday, Reese began a series of posts on X that appeared to address media coverage of the issue.
“Y’all know I’ve been through this for the past two years but I was told ‘save the tears’ and ‘stop playing the victim,'” Reese wrote. “You’re all a little late to the party and could have tried to put out the fire before it started.”
In a second post, Reese wrote: “I have never had privilege in my life, but I certainly know the power I have through my platform. That didn’t happen overnight. I cultivated that on my own. That said, I will continue to use my voice the right way and say what is right, even though being this ‘bad guy’ has backfired on me, I will not stop!!”
I have never had a privilege in my life, but I certainly know the power I have through my platform. That didn’t happen overnight. I grew that myself. That being said, I will continue to use my voice appropriately and say what is right, even if it has backfired on me to…
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) September 26, 2024
Reese continued in a third post.
“For the past two years, the media has taken advantage of my pain and the fact that I was abused to create a narrative. They allowed this. This was beneficial for them,” she wrote. “I sometimes share my experiences about things that have happened to me, but I also let this happen for far too long and now other players in this league are dealing with and experiencing the same things.
For the past two years, the media has capitalized on my pain and the fact that I was abused to create a narrative. They allowed this. This was beneficial to them. I sometimes share my experiences about things that have happened to me, but I have also let this happen for far too long…
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) September 27, 2024
“This is not okay at all. Anything beyond criticism of playing the game we love is wrong. I’m sorry to all the players who have/continue to experience the same things I did. This is why I started my podcast I started. To get my voice back and create the story of who I really am. Ultimately, I don’t want any excuses and I don’t think this will ever stop, but something has to change.”
As a star player at Louisiana State, Reese developed an on-court rivalry with then-Iowa star Caitlin Clark, now with the Indiana Fever. In April, Reese addressed the trash talk that went both ways between her and Clark, including the gesture Reese made to the Hawkeyes standout during the 2023 national championship game, which received widespread attention.
Read more: Column: Angel Reese isn’t hurting women’s sports. Her pearl-clutch critics are
“That’s fine. I’ll take on the bad guy,” Reese said. “I take the hit for it, but I know we’re growing women’s basketball. If this is the way we’re going to do it, this is the way we’re going to do it. You either like it or you don’t.”
Reese expressed a similar sentiment in June, when she and Clark were in the midst of celebrated rookie seasons that helped soar the WNBA’s popularity.
“Look where women’s basketball is. People talk about women’s basketball that you would never think would be about women’s basketball. People are coming to games, celebrities are coming to games, arenas are sold out, just because of one single game,” Reese said, referring to the 2023 championship game.
Read more: Commissioner says WNBA is having a ‘Bird-Magic moment’ with Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese. Players say she screwed up
“And if I look at that, I will take on that role. I will take on the role of villain, and I will continue to do that and continue to do so for my teammates. And if I want to be that and I know I’m going to go down in history, 20 years from now I’ll look back and think, yeah, the reason we watch women’s basketball isn’t just because of one person. It’s also because of me, and I want you all to realize that.”
Also on Friday, the Women’s National Basketball Players Assn. has issued a statement calling for greater integrity and professionalism in the way the league is covered by the media.
“Rather than demonstrate the cornerstones of journalistic ethics such as integrity, objectivity and commitment to the truth, you have chosen to be disingenuous and downright disingenuous,” the union said in a statement addressed “to unprofessional members of the media like Christine Brennan. .”
Brennan, a USA Today columnist, has not responded to the statement on her social media accounts. USA Today Sports posted a statement on X from Editor-in-Chief Roxanna Scott in support of Brennan.
“Christine Brennan is highly regarded as an advocate for women and athletes, but first and foremost she is a journalist,” Scott wrote.
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
