Angel Reese isn’t stepping away from the controversy that erupted during her team’s heated season-opening clash with Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. Instead, the Chicago Sky forward is leaning into the spotlight to address a much deeper and more troubling issue.
In the days since Clark‘s flagrant foul on Reese ignited widespread reaction from fans, players, and pundits alike, Reese has been vocal about the aftermath-particularly the racist abuse she says has come from segments of the Indiana fan base.
Racial hostility
Reese shared a video on Monday in which a TikTok user decried the racial hostility the former LSU star allegedly endured at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The user warned that Reese‘s safety was now compromised due to an “unsafe environment” created by some Fever fans.
“The situation at hand is that when Angel Reese walks into the Indiana Fever arena, she is no longer safe,” the user claimed. “She is not safe, because there are some Indiana Fever fans who are racist, who will treat her like she is not a human being, who will hurl slurs and threats her way, and that is not OK.”
The WNBA acknowledged the situation with a formal statement on Sunday.
“The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms – they have no place in our league or in society. We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter,” it read.
On Tuesday, Reese addressed the issue directly with reporters.
“There’s no place in the league for that,” Reese said. “I think the WNBA and our team and our organization [have] done a great job of supporting me. Going through this whole process, it could happen to me, it could happen to anyone and I think they’ve done a great job supporting us in this.
“They understand that this is the priority. There’s no place for this. … Obviously, the women in this league, they know that and know there’s no space for that. I believe that every player in this league deserves to be treated with respect and want to come to work and have fun and have a great environment to work at.”
Clark against racism
Clark, who has been at the center of both praise and scrutiny in her short WNBA career, echoed similar sentiments during her own media availability a day earlier.
“There’s no place for that in our game, there’s no place for that in society,” Clark said. “We want every person that comes into our arena, whether player, whether fan, to have a great experience. I appreciate the league doing that. I appreciate the Fever organization has been at the forefront of that since Day 1, and what they’re doing. With the investigation, we’ll leave that up to them to find anything, and take the proper action if so.”
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