Angel Reese puts WNBA on notice with strong remarks

The Chicago Sky drafted forward Angel Reese with the seventh overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. In the year since that selection, Reese has parlayed her fame as an LSU Tiger into becoming one of the most iconic brands not just in women’s basketball, but in all of sports.

While she certainly garners her share of criticism, Reese silenced the critics when she finished second in the WNBA Rookie of the Year voting last season. With averages of 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game, it is becoming increasingly hard for people to tear down what Reese has built in just one professional season.

But with great fame and notoriety comes a prominent voice, and that can work either for or against a young player. Reese has had no reservations about speaking her mind in the past, and her comments on “The Angel Reese Show” on Friday indicate she has no intentions of stopping.

Angel Reese puts WNBA on notice with strong remarks about upcoming CBA negotiations

Last season, the WNBA’s players chose to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement, which was set to expire in 2027. While the players still intend to play the 2025 season, the clock is ticking on reaching another agreement.

Reese, despite only playing one season in the WNBA, has made her thoughts on the situation known. She sent the following message to the league on Friday on an episode of her podcast.

Reese drew quite a mixed response with her strong comments. Some supported her assertion that the players of the WNBA deserve more in the next CBA, while others felt that she came on too strong for a young player in the league. Once again, Reese did not cower and even doubled down on her comments.

The WNBA has certainly risen in prominence in recent years, and both Reese and Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark have been at the forefront of that growth. Reese’s stubbornness will ruffle some feathers, but standing firm in your beliefs is exactly what the players need to do if they want to change their circumstances.

This kind of pressure from high-profile players will force the WNBA’s hand and could inspire dramatic change in the league. It will be interesting to monitor how other players in the sport approach the new CBA deal as well, but Reese certainly got the ball rolling last week.