In an unexpected crossover between the WNBA and NFL, Chicago Sky icon Angel Reese solidified her support toward Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.
It was not about yards, but regarding some other different connection. When critics tore into Williams’ painted nails, Reese raised her voice: his nail fashion “doesn’t make him less of a man.”
All about the nail art
Williams had his nails done just recently with a thumb print design in Lyrical Lemonade imagery and has used those manicures to create awareness for mental health, such as the “988” crisis hotline.
His fashion choices were instantly greeted with social media pushback, where his detractors questioning his real manhood and image. Unbilieveable.
Reese took advantage of her ‘Unapologetically Angel’ podcast to give her opinion, advocating for Williams’ decision and against that stupid judgment over manhood and masculinity. “He wanted to do something that was very important, which is suicide awareness,” she went on, adding that his masculinity beyond nails is still not even on the line. “That does not make him any less of a man.”
She also admitted that they have the same nail work, implying an even closer personal connection than public admiration.
Why is Reese’s take important now a days?
Reese’s defense is not just about freedom of style. It also aims at:
- Authenticity vs. norms: She frames his decision-making as authentic expression, not performance.
- Mental health messaging: Williams’ nail art is a public platform to draw attention to suicide prevention.
- Breaking gendered discussions: Reese challenges internet trolls who view these kind of self-expression as weaknesses.
In an era in which athleticism is measured even at its last details, Reese gives a reminder that identity is also a performance, but not for the public eye.
Beyond the nail criticism
Williams and Reese have similarities in this. They both are rooted in the Washington, D.C. area, have been best friends since before becoming professionals, and now work in the same creative circles, like the same nail salon.
When Reese defended his nails, she defended something thta goes beyond sports: defining oneself in the glare of the public eye. In doing so, she says that criticism of appearance should not be more powerful than praise of performance, heart, and intention.
To be fair, this is not really about the nails themselves. It is about who we allow to define us and about how athletes are fighting against the notion that sometimes, expression is seen as weakness.
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