Being Angel Reese is not an easy task. Reese has endured taunts and online hate as her celebrity has grown over the past year, despite being one of the most well-known female collegiate basketball players of this decade. Reese, a 21-year-old Black woman, has been the victim of racist rants and even death threats on social media, which has been extremely challenging for her to bear as she attempts to concentrate on her impending WNBA career.
Even though Reese was not participating in the NCAA championship game between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Iowa Hawkeyes on Sunday, the criticism of her persisted.
Reese had to take a break to admit that she was once again the subject of controversy as she got into a debate about the way the game was refereed. Reese was a top player for LSU.
In terms of provocative X postings, Reese didn’t seem to be trying to stir up trouble when she retweeted WNBA player Natasha Cloud’s tweet challenging the refereeing standards for the Cleveland championship game. Reese only stated that she had “hit delete about six times” on her own post, which had discussed Iowa’s substantial first-half free-throw edge.
Many people insulted Reese, calling her a “loser,” in a post that garnered 687 replies and over 1,000 retweets. Cloud claimed that as a result of the tweet exchange, “racism and hate” started to appear on Reese’s page. The guard for the Phoenix Mercury acknowledged Reese’s bravery and fortitude in speaking out against the hate, stating that she “wears a crown that most of y’all couldn’t even lift.”
Reese responded to Cloud’s tweet with a poignant and humorous message. She apologized for bringing hate to Cloud’s X feed and jokingly “welcomed” Cloud to her world, where she often has to deal with abuse and insults.
Since she helped LSU win a national title in 2023, Reese has become a highly divisive figure. Many have criticized both her attitude and her off-court actions, despite the fact that she has done nothing wrong. Few can dispute her skill and potential, though, and as she advances in her basketball career, she hopes the WNBA will offer a more welcoming environment.
