Natasha Cloud Backs Unrivaled Foe Angel Reese With Clear Message to Critics
Anybody who has even remotely followed women's basketball over the past couple of years knows that Angel Reese is often the subject of criticism and hate from some fans.
There's no doubt that much of this is unnecessary, especially considering the positive example she sets for young women. And while the Chicago Sky star has received a lot of hate for some of her shortcomings on the basketball court, the work she is putting in during her time at Unrivaled is paying dividends.
Reese became the first player in the league's history to produce a 20+ point, 20+ rebound performance last Friday. She followed this up by posting 23 points and 14 rebounds in 22 minutes played during her Rose BC team's 71-59 win over Phantom BC on February 24.
After the game, Phantom BC and Connecticut Sun standout Natasha Cloud stood on business when speaking about Reese to the media.
"I think you guys see Angel's greatness obviously from college into her rookie season, and there's parts of her game that she's going to continue to hone in on," Cloud said, per an X post from Moreau Sports Media.
"She's finishing better right now... Y'all better give her her flowers as much as y'all s**t on her, too, about those finishes" Cloud continued. "She's finishing now and she's also taking a lot of leadership with a Rose team that has done a really good job of getting themselves back."
She later added, "Angel is definitely setting the tone for them. I felt it in the game tonight."
Natasha Cloud was questioned about Angel Reese and gave a very genuine answer about Reese's game and her critics.
— Moreau Sports Media Prod Co. (@MoreauSportsCo) February 25, 2025
Full Press Conference: https://t.co/8Euc54TISq pic.twitter.com/3w7jIHhNGL
Reese replied to one post that excerpted Cloud's comments on X and wrote, "appreciate you gang @T_Cloud4".
appreciate you gang @T_Cloud4 https://t.co/FjDYiV7V93
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) February 25, 2025
Cloud is right in saying that those who've been loud to criticize Reese should be showing her respect right now after all her improvements.
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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.