Although it can certainly be mentally draining at times, the role of a villain is supposed to have a fun element attached to it. When an athlete accepts such a burden, the expectation is that memorable soundbites and bold displays will follow. But Angel Reese does not appear to be too invested in putting on a show right now. On the contrary, she seems exasperated.
Days after the Chicago Sky forward garnered substantial national attention for her flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark, she was less than forthcoming when addressing the media. Reese gave noticeably short responses, which prompted someone to question the reason for said brevity.
“I know how y’all like to twist my words, so I’m just keeping it short and sweet,” she said, according to the Chicago Tribune's Steve Greenberg. “I can’t trust any of y’all, so I’m just letting you know — short and sweet.”
The No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft has previously claimed that she will serve as the league's villain if need be, a label many fans have assigned to Reese due to her outspoken nature and past trash-talking exchanges. She is destined to be Clark's foil for the years to come, an intriguing dynamic that has produced record-breaking ratings on multiple occasions.
Angel Reese clearly feels public perception of her is getting out of hand, however, and is suggesting that the media is playing a part in that.
Angel Reese is likely to remain under the microscope
There are those who interpreted Reese's foul on Clark as vicious or even worthy of suspension, while others defended the penalty as an attempted play on the ball rather than a deliberate strike on the Indiana Fever guard's head. Clark echoed the latter sentiment, but some continue to doubt Reese's intentions.
Her complaints about officiating in the Sky's 91-83 loss to the Fever and insinuation that the former Iowa Hawkeyes star is afforded special treatment only enhanced the blowback the 2023 national champion is receiving. Angel Reese has said she is subjected to hateful messages and death threats, and if she believes the media could be inadvertently instigating them, this could be her way of taking control of the narrative.
Calling out a group of reporters is only going to draw more scrutiny, though. Many are bothered by the fact that the WNBA is commanding more attention for things that pull focus away from the actual product. After all, both Reese and Clark have been at the center of some of the most classic moments in women's basketball history over the last couple of years.
Will Reese change her tune about the media?
The Sky and WNBA hope that Angel Reese can remain a staple of the sport for a long time. She is currently averaging a double-double in her rookie season (12.1 points and 10.2 rebounds) to go with 1.8 steals per game but is struggling to find her shooting stroke (37.1 percent). Like Caitlin Clark, the 22-year-old has the tools to work out the kinks after gaining more experience at the professional level.
Marketability is a key reason why she is expected to be a household name throughout her career, though. While Reese does not have anything to worry about on that front for now, distrusting the media is not the most practical way to spotlight her achievements, or those of the WNBA. But perhaps she is tired of being perceived as an antagonist.
Considering that she ostensibly celebrated teammate Chennedy Carter needlessly shoulder-checking Clark to the floor in the beginning of June, there will be fans who maintain the same opinion. That being said, Reese showed no traces of villainy when she sent well wishes to fellow rookie and Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink, who suffered a non-contact knee injury Tuesday night.
Regardless of how one feels about this young athlete, she is one of the most recognizable talents in the W right now. And that is why news outlets cannot be too thrilled by the stand she is taking against reporters.
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