Angel Reese hasn’t spoken much lately. She’s been doing all of her talking on the court. She always has an opinion to share and isn’t afraid to say it, despite the backlash she gets from people who attempt to villainize her and boost Caitlin Clark. Those old Angel Reese vs. Clark conversations have dwindled, as Clark fans are content that the difference in their offensive games will always give Clark the edge.
Angel Reese Becomes Fastest WNBA Player To 70 Career Double-Doubles
However, Clark isn’t the only one whose WNBA game keeps growing, along with her marketability. Both have had to deal with unnecessary insults and backlash for being authentic and at this point it’s just a matter of taste and allegiance.
The fact that both are two of the most successful and popular women’s basketball players ever is indisputable.
Angel Reese dropped her Black Barbie doll and expressed the fact that she didn’t see dolls like that when she was growing up, so it was very special to her. There was a contingent of fans who tried to twist her honesty into something negative. Accusing Angel of saying there were no Black Barbie dolls before hers. In the midst of this off-the-court chaos, Reese added another milestone to her hoops résumé on Wednesday night at the Gateway Center Arena. The Atlanta Dream star registered her 21st double-double of the season in Atlanta’s 96-82 home win over the Phoenix Mercury. This made her the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 70 career double-doubles.
Angel Reese On A Scorcher Since All-Star Break: Fans React
Reese finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block in 32 minutes as the Dream picked up their 19th victory of the season.
Per usual, her performance garnered mixed reactions across the WNBA world. But the numbers don’t lie. Since the All-Star break, she’s leading the Dream in points and rebounds (20.0 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 3.0 APG, 2.3 STL + BLK) with 55% total shooting.
Praises were due for “Dream Barbie.” She definitely puts her money where her mouth is.
“Angel Reese on an average night: 14 points, 10 rebounds. She is a double-double machine,” ESPN’s Sam Block wrote, praising her consistency.
“She’s rewriting the record books at an unbelievable pace,” Hoops Nation commented.
“Angel Reese is HER,” DraftKings posted, giving props to Reese’s achievement.
Haters Gonna Hate
The pushback was fast and furious. It’s par for the course when Angel Reese breaks a record or a boundary or a barrier.
“Minus the seven rebounds she got off her own missed. And then add in the six or seven turnovers. Ladies trash,” one fan said.
Another fan posted a video of a couple of Reese misses on layup attempts and captioned it, “….and? ATROCIOUS brand of basketball.”
Some criticized Reese’s uncanny ability to rebound her own misses and extend her team’s possessions. Others say Dream coach Karl Smesko intentionally left her in the game JUST to secure another double-double. You can’t make this up.
“they were up 15 and they kept her in with 1:30 left to get 2 rebounds to get her double double it’s so sad lol,” one user quipped.
“I mean, seriously. I’ve seen WAAAAY too many videos of different games that look like this over and over. I can appreciate the tenacity for rebounds, but half the rebounds she gets seem to be created by her ineptitude to shoot the ball. It’s what it is,” one critic tweeted.
One Angel Reese fan called the attacks on her game racially-motivated.
“They not gonna give her due credit nor respect. Wrong complexion.”
Angel Reese Is Disliked By Any Fans Affiliated With Caitlin Clark, Iowa Hawkeyes Or Indiana Fever
Certain fan bases want to hate on the former LSU star so hard. So they continue to punish the aesthetics of her game, while purposely ignoring the production and contributions to winning. Getting a double-double means you excelled on both ends of the court. Reese is referred to as Ms. “Mebound” by some WNBA fans because she is a fierce offensive rebounder. She also eats on the defensive end, while contributing enough scoring to help her team secure victory. Scoring isn’t her first role, so her point total fluctuates.
It goes deeper than race with Reese. Her mythical NCAA Tournament battles with Caitlin Clark in college was the launching pad for this entire WNBA and women’s hoops explosion. It played out along social, racial and political lines and boosted the engagement across the league. It was the match that lit the spark and created another universe solely for WNBA discussion.
Nobody expected Reese to be this good. They thought Clark’s offensive genius would continue in the WNBA and Reese’s grit and glamour game would disappear. She’s not feeding into any of the racial stereotypes. They say she’s ghetto, but she walks the Victoria Secret’s runway. They say she isn’t as attractive or classy as her aura presents, but every company from McDonald’s to Barbie wants her NIL to represent their major brand worldwide.
She’s doing something right! Taking care of business on the court is her first priority and she’s doing that at an All-star level. No need to compare her to anyone because she’s 1-of-1.
