Calls Mount Against Major Injustice Towards Angel Reese as More Chaos Looms Over CBA Controversy

“I never said anything about the NBA”. Angel Reese is trying to clarify words that seem to have been taken out of context. She may have never anticipated that sending a message defending herself and her fellow WNBA players would blow up the way it did. Reese was accused of saying that WNBA players should be paid like NBA players, which she quickly refuted. With the WNBA’s CBA currently being negotiated, honest remarks about player salaries and conditions have been twisted, causing confusion and criticism for the star rookie. Despite that, Reese appears to have numerous fans willing to stand with her against all the noise.

On her podcast, Unapologetically Angel, Reese spoke about a possible player strike if the WNBA does not give them what they want. “I need to sit in the [players’ union] meetings. Because I’m hearing, ‘If [the league] don’t give us what we want, we’re sitting out”. Reese was just passing along what she heard about a potential strike. But her comments was picked up by multiple outlets and spiraled into a media frenzy. Despite the backlash, Reese has remained firm regarding her support for better pay and treatment of players in the league.

Reese has been candid about her own financial realities. “The WNBA don’t pay my bills at all. I don’t even think it pays one bill. Literally,” she previously said. One of the most famous faces in the WNBA can’t even make ends meet on that salary alone — an issue faced by countless other WNBA players.

Wages for women’s basketball players compared to NBA players has been an ongoing issue for years, and Reese’s blunt remarks about the pay disparity only intensified criticism. Critics pounced, twisting her words and claiming she was ungrateful. But for Reese, it’s simply the truth.

Addressing all of the false information being spread, Reese said, “I love how y’all have selective hearing. I said ‘I’m hearing if they don’t give us what we want, we sitting out’ and that’s the truth.” She continued to denounce those spreading lies, saying, “For someone they ‘hate’ so much, literally be having them so riled up. Having to tell lies for engagement is crazyyyy work.” Despite consistent backlash against Reese, she’s clearly not backing down. Through utilizing her platform, the LSU student-athlete has made it a point. She shed light on real issues players are facing and push back on the narratives attempting to silence them.

Reese has been on the receiving end of harsh treatment before. She has never been shy about expressing her opinion, whether it was regarding WNBA salaries or players’ rights. Her outspokenness has evidently rubbed some the wrong way, which has led to many of her message being focus on or taken out of context. Nevertheless, Reese has found her supporters despite all of the negative attention she has faced. Many different fans have come to her support believing her to be victim of harsh treatment who is often misunderstood.

Fans’ support for Angel Reese grows

Online support has poured in for Reese. With fans on social media platform X calling out the unfair treatment she’s endured. “It’s wild to me that Angel Reese is the one getting flamed for saying she HEARD OTHER WNBA players may opt to sit out,” one wrote. Some fans are upset that Reese is always being targeted for anything she says or does. One fan wrote in jest, “If Reese cures cancer, they will bash her for not doing diabetes first. There is no other logic to actively seeking her out other than mental illness and/or racism.” The exaggerated comparison illustrates that no matter what Reese does, the hate she receives has more to do with personal biases against her than the things she says.

Some fans even went as far as to compare her level of hate to the top male athletes in history like Tom Brady and LeBron James. “Angel Reese getting the type of hate that Tom Brady & LeBron received at their peak! The hate she receives is on par with Pat Mahomes! She’s in elite company! You know how successful & amazing you have to be for your mere presence to eat at losers when they look at their life?”. He is not wrong. It’s the most successful and influential types of athletes that ever see their every move scrutinized so intensely. Reese being so successful is the exact reason why she’s being put under a microscope so intently—and why people are so eager to pull her down.

One Reese’s fan feels it is “so infuriating” the way she is treated. “The popular thing to do is bash her so they can’t wait to chase clout and talk shit about her for reactions”. wrote another supporter of Reese. Indeed, recent events have put Reese actively in the spotlight. And she has engaged in the controversy, responding to her criticism.

Finally, Reese’s comments about the WNBA highlight a larger issue of financial fairness in women’s sports. Reese and her peers are advocating for equal pay, better conditions, and the respect they deserve. The strong fan support for Reese online shows that many are behind her. While she may face criticism, Angel Reese is also an agent of change—and her voice is being heard.