Angel Reese Sounds Off After Sun's Alyssa Thomas Gets Ejected for Hard Foul

Like her friend and rival Caitlin Clark, the Sky forward is navigating the WNBA learning curve.

May 25, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) looks to shoot against the Connecticut Sun during the second half of a WNBA game at Wintrust Arena. / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

The Connecticut Sun topped the Chicago Sky 86-82 Saturday in a celestial WNBA matchup—with a final score that belied the contest's physicality.

Late in the third quarter, Sun forward Alyssa Thomas and Sky forward Angel Reese were battling for a rebound when Thomas appeared to push Reese to the ground by the neck. The 2023 MVP runner-up was called for a flagrant foul and ejected, leaving Connecticut shorthanded.

After the game, Reese made clear that her fame shouldn't excuse her from the rigors of WNBA life.

"They don't give a damn if I'm a rookie," Reese said of her opponents generally and Thomas specifically. "They're not supposed to be nice to me or lay down because I'm Angel Reese."

Angel Reese on the hard foul from Alyssa Thomas. pic.twitter.com/OqZ06w07VY

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 26, 2024

Like Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark—her friend and rival—Reese brings unprecedented cultural cache into the WNBA. And like Clark, Reese has had her ups and downs, as Chicago sits at .500 through four games.