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Angel Reese has explained why she will remain the WNBA’s ‘bad girl’ as she talks about her rivalry with Caitlin Clark and Chennedy Carter’s body check on the Indiana Fever star.
Speaking before the Chicago Sky’s game against the New York Liberty on Tuesday, and just 24 hours after the WNBA elevated Carter’s foul on Clark to a flagrant violation, Reese believes people have held a grudge against her since her college days at LSU , where she became NCAA champion in 2023 at Clark’s expense.
The Tigers defeated Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes, 102-85, in that year’s title game.
‘It all started in the National Championship game. I’ve been dealing with this for two years,” Reese, 22, said of her unpopularity with fans, compared to Clark’s. “And understanding that, yes, negative things have probably been said about me, but honestly, I will accept it”.
‘Because look where women’s basketball is. People are talking about women’s basketball in ways you never would have imagined.’
Angel Reese defended teammate Chennedy Carter’s flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark in Saturday’s Sky-Fever game while talking about her popularity in the WNBA.
‘People are coming to the games, we have celebrities coming to the games, sold-out stadiums. Just for a single game. And just by looking at that, I will take on that role. I will take on the role of the bad guy and continue to take on the role. And be that for my teammates.’
And he added: ‘I know I will go down in history. I’ll look back in 20 years and say, “Yeah, the reason we watch women’s basketball isn’t just because of one person.” It’s my fault too” and I want you to realize that… many of us have done so much for this game…
“There are so many great players in this league who have deserved this for a long time and thankfully it’s coming now.”
The power forward, who is averaging 10.6 points per game this season, also believes in the tough foul Clark experienced in Chicago’s narrow win against Indiana on Saturday. There was a normal amount of physicality between opponents in the WNBA, as she defended Carter.
Reese has faced criticism for his on-court celebrations since LSU defeated Iowa two years ago.
Reese, the seventh overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, faced backlash on social media for celebrating her teammate’s physical play with Clark and was fined $1,000 for not being available to the media after the high-profile game. profile from last weekend.
“Chennedy and I are super competitive,” Reese said after telling reporters that she has her teammate’s back. ‘Just having that competitive advantage. I love my teammates and I will always support them. So, it was just competition.
‘That fuels our fire, that’s how Chennedy and I were raised… we ran out of energy.
“We are super competitive every day, so I hope that translates to the WNBA.”
