If you type in the word, “angel,” on Google, the very first thing to pop up is not Jesus, but definitely a God’s send to the world of women’s basketball.
Angel Reese, a woman, who is as interesting as any 21-year-old self-made millionairess, who went viral from just waving her hand, could be. She was born into a basketball family, her mother, also named Angel Reese and her father, both played professionally overseas. She also has numerous family members who either play basketball on the collegiate level or professionally. Reese was literally born to play this game, and as of this week, she announced that she would be entering the WNBA draft for next season.
Looking at Reese’s stats, it’s hard not to smile at her impressive numbers. A record breaker at LSU, and in the 2023 NCAA women’s tournament; it’s not difficult to understand why she won Most Outstanding Player for the tournament and the SEC Player of the Year that year. But Reese is not without a blemish or two on that amazing record. Known for her trash talk and her hard-hitting playing style, she is no stranger to talking a good game and having a greater one. The problem is, that’s a great thing for sports, if you are a man.
Black women have historically been the most marginalized group in America, but I’m going to give a gender neutral and racially indifferent take on Angel Reese:
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) April 2, 2024
“In sports, you can’t act like the big bad wolf, then cry like courage the cowardly dog.” pic.twitter.com/aUtxZ7JHk4
Yesterday, at a news conference, the usually tough Reese held back tears as she talked about some of the negative experiences she has had since her stardom. While Angel has certainly been celebrated in a way that we’ve never seen in women’s basketball before, including the WBNA, it has not come without pain. This year, LSU was knocked out of the NCAA tournament in the Elite Eight round by Iowa, the same team they beat to clinch the championship, last year. LSU and Iowa’s official rivalry was spearheaded by the stars of their teams, Reese and Caitlin Clark, respectively. While both players have defended their relationship, and seem supportive of each other, their interactions, in particular, have helped in the villainization of the Reese. The mostly Black LSU’s team invitation to the White House after their win was also marred in controversy when First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden tweeted about inviting both the winning and losing team, which included the mostly white Iowa squad, in an unprecedented move.
Initially, Reese declined the participation trophy-esque meeting but ultimately accepted the invitation which was officially extended only to the winners, LSU. Additionally, Reese has received much criticism for her in-your-face style which has been popularized by many male sports stars who have come before her.
In a press conference after their loss to Iowa, this week, Reese spoke about being sexualized and receiving death threats, and Xitter was quick to dismantle her argument with misogyny and stupidity.
Using pictures of Reese in a bathing suit, many were quick to assert that her claims of sexualization were either caused by her or reflected some sort of hypocrisy, and completely ignored her death threats. Mind you, Utah’s mostly white women’s basketball team had to be relocated after their non-white players were harassed by big strong men revving their pickup trucks, trying to intimidate young women for playing a sport and not being white when they did it. If that could happen to the Utah players, imagine the amount of negative attention, someone even more socially present would receive. But her safety fell on deaf ears. Images of her in a bathing suit, affixed with captions which concluded wearing a bathing suit meant she could not be sexualized. The sentiment felt eerily close to a bathing suit means she cannot establish her own boundaries and that a cute bathing suit photo shoot, was equivalent to bussing it wide open. Reese was photographed wearing the exact same style of bathing suit that has been ubiquitous and part of the standard for bathing suits, for decades.
Angel Reese said she got death threats and y'all glossed over that, but as soon as she said something about being sexualized, y'all wanna use this time to grab every picture of her in a bikini and be 100% wrong about what she's talking about. https://t.co/XyYh0MoCY2
— 𝕌𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕕𝕠𝕘𝔹𝕋: 𝔹𝕃𝕄 ✊🏿 (@B_Rabbit843) April 3, 2024
In a world that sexualizes Black women but does not find them sexy, her point is proven in its dismissal.
Reese is dynamic, and while she still has to prove herself, career-wise, she is just as thrilling and necessary to the game, as some of the NBA’s biggest players. The LSU-Iowa games have garnered more viewers on ESPN than any men’s basketball game, ever . She draws attention and crowds, something that the WBNA desperately needs. Reese, like any other 21-year-old, has a lot to learn about herself, how to handle stardom, and being a millionairess before she could legally drink. She should be allowed the grace needed to comfortably navigate the follies of youth, especially in an arena where sports fans think players owe them something, including their mental health. At the end of the day, her hubris is no more unbearable than Jordan’s antics and his consistent tongue mismanagement, and I am a Jordan fan.
Her tearful press conference is no more histrionic than LeBron James’ crying after a major loss.
Her flamboyance off the court and aggressive playing style on the court, are by far more muted than Dennis Rodman’s appearance and bellicosity. Her take-no-sh*t defiance is much softer than Allen Iverson’s devil-may-care and so may my coach, but I don’t, attitude. While all these players have met some sort of backlash in their careers, it is much less severe than what Reese has faced in a short amount of time, and she’s only 21.
Reese has worked hard and celebrated her wins just in the same way that great basketball players before her have. In a world that makes women feel like they are useless without a ring, Angel Reese will surely have more rings to show off in the future.
