When Angel Reese and Chennedy Carter stepped up to the podium this afternoon, they knew what to expect.

A scrum of reporters immediately began to ask the two players about Saturday’s theatrics. The Sky suffered a 71-70 loss to Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. Not only did the loss include a cheap shot foul by Carter that sent Clark to the ground, but it led to a fine for Angel Reese after she chose not to speak with reporters after the game. Carter also went on to double-down on her decision, criticizing Clark’s skills over social media.

The situation garnered enough media attention that Chicago Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon had to release a statement. The former WNBA Defensive Player of the Year stressed that – while her team wants to play with a physical identity – Carter’s conduct was “inappropriate.”

So when Reese stepped in front of reporters alongside Carter this afternoon, it offered an opportunity to finally turn the page. Not one to mince words, however, Reese wasn’t going to do that without speaking her mind.

Angel Reese Will be the “Bad Guy”

Angel Reese cemented herself as one of the biggest names in women’s basketball when she helped LSU take down Clark in the 2023 NCAA National Championship game. While there is no denying that Clark has remained the marquee name in the sport, Reese used this title run to become her own distinctive draw.

The Sky’s No. 7 overall draft pick brings elite defensive versatility and an always outspoken personality. So when discussing the newfound attention for women’s basketball and the WNBA, Reese reiterated that she sees herself as a vital part of the story:

“I think so many people watching women’s basketball right now, it all started with the national championship game,” Angel Reese told WGN News. “I’ve been dealing with this for two years now. And understanding, yeah, negative things have probably been said about me. But, honestly, I’ll take that because look where women’s basketball is.

People are talking about women’s basketball that you never would think would talk about women’s basketball. People are pulling up to games. We got celebrities coming to games. Sold out arenas. Just because of one single game. I’ll take that role. I’ll take the bad guy role. And I’ll continue to take that on and be that for my teammates if I want to be that.

I know that I’ll go down in history and look back in 20 years and be like, ‘the reason why people are watching women’s basketball is not just because of one person. It’s because of me, too.’ And I want y’all to realize that. It’s not just about one person. A lot of us have done so much for this game … there are so many great players in this league that have deserved this moment for a really long time. And, luckily, it’s coming now.”

A lot of people are going to hate this comment, and I can understand why. As I already mentioned, there is no denying that Clark has played the largest role in bringing a broader audience to women’s basketball. A lot of the online discourse surrounding other WNBA athletes – and, specifically, Reese – has centered around jealousy. And, well, this sure doesn’t make Reese sound any less jealous.

At the same time, I think Reese is absolutely right. As amazing as Clark is – and as important as she will continue to be – this women’s basketball boom isn’t solely about her. Whether it be Reese, Kamilla Cardoso, Sabrina Ionescu, A’ja Wilson, Paige Bueckers, or JuJu Watkins, this sport is flooded with star power right now. There are a handful of athletes who have played – and are currently playing – an essential role in putting more eyes on women’s basketball. Clark might be the engine, but you need other pieces to create the perfect storm.

Reese, in particular, has turned herself into one of the most popular young athletes in the sports world. Whether it be her national title victory, her 3.3 million Instagram followers, a visit to the Met Gala, or becoming the co-owner of a pro sports team, Reese is paving a path unlike any other. Does that mean you need to be ok with her soliciting credit for it? No. You can feel how you want to feel. If you think it comes off too cocky, I totally get it. If you admire her confidence, I get that, too.

Relatedly, I can understand where some of Reese’s frustration stems from in regard to the narrative around the Carter-Clark incident. She addressed the different reaction to Alyssa Thomas’ hard foul on her during the Sky’s matchup with the Sun on May 25. When Reese jumped for a rebound, Thomas chose not to go for the board and shoved Reese to the court by her neck. The officials ejected Thomas after the incident.

While I think it’s unnecessary to play “which hard foul is worse,” we can all agree this one is pretty bad.

Physicality isn’t new in the WNBA, and Clark isn’t the only one receiving some cheap shots. Now, this doesn’t mean it’s acceptable for Carter to blindside her with a hip check, (it’s not) but it does mean that emotions run high and things are going to happen.

I guess the most important takeaway here is that all this drama and dialogue is good for the sport, which is kind of Reese’s initial point. We’re going to have our fair share of stupid comments made with a brighter and brighter spotlight on the WNBA (and, woof, have we already seen some on ESPN), but the fact it’s becoming a greater part of our general sports talk feels like an overwhelming positive.

The Sky continue their season on Wednesday night in a star-studded matchup against the New York Liberty. The team’s next highly-anticipated matchup against the Indiana Fever will be on June 16.

Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky