Angel Reese Addresses Distressing Interactions With Caitlin Clark Fans
The first episode of Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese's podcast "Unapologetically Angel" was released on Thursday.
The 22-year-old former LSU Tiger promised to "spill the tea" with this new podcast, which will be releasing new episodes on Thursdays and is a part of Shaquille O’Neal’s “The Big Podcast Network”.
And Reese wasted no time spilling the tea about the toll that her rivalry with fellow WNBA rookie sensation Caitlin Clark has taken on her; specifically, the vitriol she has allegedly faced from Clark's fanbase.
"Caitlin is an amazing player and I've always thought she was an amazing player," Reese said in the podcast. "We've been playing each other since high school. So I think it's really just the fans, her fans, the Iowa fans, and now the Indiana fans that... ride for her. And I respect that, respectfully.
"But sometimes it's very disrespectful," Reese continued. "I think there's a lot of racism when it comes to it. And I don't believe [Caitlin] stands on any of that. But when it comes to death threats... like, I'm talking about people have come down to my address, follow me home... it has come down to that."
Reese went on, saying, "Multiple occasions, people have made AI pictures of me, like naked. Literally. They have sent it to my family members. My family members are like... uncles are sending it to me like 'Are you naked on Instagram?' It sucks to see that, and it's really hard that I have to go through that. And now seeing other players even having to go through that."
Altough Reese concluded by saying the relationship between her and Clark is not negative.
"At the end of the day, it's a game that we do both love. But there is no hate," she said.
Angel Reese says some Caitlin Clark fans have been racist toward her, sent her death threats, created fake naked AI pictures of her to send to her family members, and have even followed her home at times 😳
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 5, 2024
(🎥 @angelreeseshow / https://t.co/oza3KBQkWQ) pic.twitter.com/pCL0b0jISw
While there's no way of verifying Reese's claims, there is certainly no place for that type of behavior within any community, let alone in women's basketball.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.