- Angel Reese was selected by the Chicago Sky in last week’s WNBA Draft.
- When LSU exited the NCAA tournament in early April, Reese cried as she talked about being “sexualized” and receiving death threats.
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Jason Whitlock risked sparking backlash by saying that Angel Reese was the main reason last week’s WNBA Draft was a success because she “has made it cool to lean into the feminine, sexy side of being a athlete”.
Reese, 21, was selected by the Chicago Sky after outlining her credentials as a future WNBA star during her time playing college basketball for LSU. But after LSU was eliminated from the NCAA tournament in early April, Reese cried at a news conference, saying she had been sexualized and threatened with death.
For the draft in New York, Reese wore a silver dress by luxury Australian designer Bronx and Banco and she told the New York Times about her outfit: ‘I wanted something that would stand out. I don’t want to just be a great basketball player.
‘I want to leave my impact. I want to be a model. I can cook. I can do hair. I can do nails. I can do everything.’
Whitlock celebrated her take on the night as she discussed her direction to the WNBA on the latest episode of her YouTube show ‘Fearless.’
Jason Whitlock praised Angel Reese for ‘leaning into the sexy side of being an athlete’
Reese pictured with Caitlin Clark (center) and Cameron Brink at last week’s WNBA Draft.
Angel Reese is contributing more than we ever expected. She’s gone overboard, but she’s made it cool to lean into the feminine side of being a WNBA athlete, not the feminist side. pic.twitter.com/rNO7vjtb3d
—Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) April 23, 2024
Whitlock said of Reese: ‘Last week, the WNBA Draft was a wonderful success where the overwhelming majority of those women showed up as women.
‘They were as attractive as tall women who are athletic like them could be.
‘For me, that’s a credit to Angel Reese. “She’s gone overboard, but she’s made it cool to lean into the feminine, sexy side of being an athlete.”
The 56-year-old also shared the clip on X on Tuesday morning, with the caption: “Angel Reese is bringing more to the table than we expected.”
“She’s gone overboard, but she’s made it cool to lean into the feminine side of being a WNBA athlete, not the feminist side.”
Reese was the seventh pick in the first round, while her college rival, Caitlin Clark at Iowa, was picked first by the Indiana Fever.
Reese’s LSU lost to Iowa and Clark in the college tournament in early April, and she said at a news conference after the game, “I really can’t defend myself.” I mean, I have great teammates. I have a great support system. I have my hometown. I have my family that defends me. I can’t really talk about things because I just ignore them. I’m just trying to stay strong.
‘I’ve been through a lot. I have seen a lot. I have been attacked so many times, I have been threatened with death, I have been sexualized, I have been threatened, I have been so many things and I have stood my ground each time.’
In early March, Reese cried at a press conference while talking about being “sexualized.”
Reese pictured facing off against Caitlin Clark at the college level: The two now begin a new era in the WNBA
In a separate part of the show, Whitlock praised Clark’s influence on the WNBA and compared her to Tiger Woods, all before she played her first game in the league.
“It’s a black sport and this little white girl dominates it,” he said. “He’s like the underdog or the unexpected, the same reason so many of us fell in love with Tiger Woods in golf. We hadn’t seen anyone who looked like him dominate golf.
“We haven’t seen anyone who looks like her dominate basketball to the extent that she did.”
Reese and the Chicago Sky will have their first WNBA game on May 15 against the Dallas Wings, while Clark and the Indiana Fever will play on May 14 against the Connecticut Sun.