Angel Reese has been under attack from fans and even state senators for accusing Indiana Fever fans of rehashing old beefs and overstepping boundaries. Indiana’s Senator Jim Banks has demanded Reese apologize to the Indiana Fever and the team’s fans after the WNBA launched an investigation into claims of ugly, offensive language at a game between the team and the Chicago Sky. The league ultimately said the claims were unsubstantiated.
IndianaSenator Demands Apology From Angel Reese
“The least that she could do is apologize. Obviously, she’s not going to,” Banks said.
There never should have been an “investigation”. It was all bogus.
Whether it happened or not, the Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese saga continues into their second season in the WNBA. Clark is currently nursing an injury and watching her Fever (3-4) team try to get to .500 without her. Reese’s Chicago Sky team is also struggling (2-4) and she’s being accused of underperforming despite leading the ‘W’ in rebounds with 12.3 per game. The disdain towards Reese by certain WNBA fans has only grown since her potentially-damaging claims of went unfounded.
Criticisms Of Angel Reese’s Game Continue
In addition, the attacks on her post efficiency continue with the 6-foot-3 big’s shooting percentage hovering around 30%. On the other hand, the notoriety and attention Reese commands have helped her parlay her career into a gig as the face of the re-branded Reebok, led by Shaq and Allen Iverson, which signed her to a brand deal back in 2024. Let’s not forget her various apparel collections and a signature shoe that is reportedly on the way.
In 2023, Reebok appointed Shaquille O’Neal as president and Allen Iverson as vice president of its basketball division, in the company’s attempt to revamp, modernize and revitalize their basketball products and increase fan interest, as brands such as Nike have taken over the sports landscape.
Shaq and Angel Reese are both former LSU stars and post players. Shaq walked her out on senior night two seasons ago, before announcing their partnership. We know Shaq and Reese are close. The back-and-forth between them that created so much controversy after the “Unapologetically Angel” podcast dropped a special episode featuring the former Lakers star, was the launch of their visible relationship as business partners.
Shaq was a bit loose with the lips when discussing the best marketing plan for Reese, and social media scolded him for it. Reese looked slightly surprised but was ultimately cool with the situation. It also helped the podcast blow up.
Fans Go Crazy After Shaq’s Comments On Angel Reese Podcast
“Imagine you in the same lil’ shorts you had on at the Wild’ N Out show dunking,” Shaq told Reese. “You know how many T-shirts you gonna sell, you trippin.”
Reese seemed surprised by Shaq’s suggestion and maybe a bit uncomfortable, because Shaq is supposedly like an uncle to her, as she responded, “Oh my God.”
“The same little shorts you had on at Wild’ N Out… I’m just saying,” Shaq continued with Reese, quickly trying to shut the exchange by saying, “OK, alright, alright, alright.”
Fans, as they always do, took everything left and didn’t find the exchange funny, accusing the NBA Hall of Famer of being outright creepy with Reese.
“you supposed to be her mentor/father figure… I lost all respect for him when he jumped in that Home Depot girl DM’s shooting his shot,” one user on X, formerly Twitter wrote addressing Shaq.
Angel Reese Thrives Off Any Kind Of Press
That drama was short-lived but it kept the viral sensation that is Angel Reese pumping out captivating, infuriating and entertaining content. Through her Reebok journey, it seems that Reese has also cultivated a relationship with Allen Iverson, who let it be known that the criticism towards Reese is a shot at the brand and both he and Shaq’s marketing strategy.
People say they bet on the wrong horse, but Reese has more social media followers than any player in the WNBA, including Clark, so she has always been a vital part of the WNBA’s ability to increase interest and viewership across many demographics.
“I love everything about her,” Iverson is quoted as saying about Reese in a June 4 article from People. “I love what she stands for. She reminds me of my little sister. She’s dope to me. She reminds me of myself hoop wise and on a personal level too.”
Wow. Iverson laid it on very thick, but he’s been very forthcoming with praise for everyone for the past decade or so. He’s also done plenty of reflection on his life and has chosen to live more humbly and graciously as he enters mid-life. Also, Shaq and Iverson’s Reebok rebrand is betting on Angel Reese to continue to inspire her over 4.9M social media followers (many of which are under-21) to tap in with her brand and make it a major player again.
WNBA Fans React To Iverson’s Comments About Reese
Some fans on X found a way to accuse Reese of lying, when we know fans on social media at least have said some fo the most vulgar things to her and about her. It was all about Clark.
“The WNBA could become the biggest entitlement scam in our history(if it isn’t already). What the players are supposedly asking to be included in their next WNBA contract is mind blowing. I think the NBA needs to let the players shut down the league for a year and come back to reality.,” said one fan unhappy with the respect Cailtin Clark is getting.
“Clark is going to end up turning off a large portion of her fans by going along with this nonsense. She already came out last year in a magazine article whining about the victimization of black WNBA players. Keep it up and those marketing dollars are going to vanish” said another fan, disturbed that Caitlin “bended the knee” in the words of one controversial podcaster.
Shaquille O’Neal called Angel Reese, who he signed to Reebok basketball in 2023, to tell her he was proud that she didn’t get involved in SEC Championship scuffle, but Reese implies that’s only because she had a bad ankle. (Instagram)
The common theme in the WNBA seems to be that off the court, everybody seems to be fed up with what’s happening or not happening on social media and in the stadiums, specifically as it pertains to Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. So despite all of the hoopla and senators demanding apologies, it’s just another day in the W.
