Angel Reese Thanks Sky Veteran for Support after Extreme Criticism

Angel Reese is feeling the wrath of fans and media members after the Chicago Sky's struggles this season see them near the bottom.

Angel Reese Thanks Sky Veteran for Support after Extreme Criticism

Angel Reese gets veteran teammate's support amidst criticism (Image via FirstSportz)

The Chicago Sky are going through a tumultuous time in the 2025 WNBA season after losing five out of their first seven games. Even though many problems plague the team, leading star Angel Reese is the one who usually gets the most scrutiny.

With fame and success comes even more scrutiny, and after Reese finished her rookie season with the WNBA rebounds per game record, fans expected her to play better this season. They hoped all that she had worked on in the offseason would bear fruit.

Seven games in, the 23-year-old is scoring at an abysmally low 31%, down from her rookie season average of nearly 40%. In three of the games so far, Reese has logged single-digit scores despite staying on the court for an average of 29 minutes.

All of that led fans to believe she was too busy focusing on her fashion and her brand, rather than working on her game. After the game against the New York Liberty, reporters were asking Reese about her game and the scrutiny behind it. Hearing that veteran teammate Ariel Atkins stepped in.

The amount of crap she gets on a day-to-day, she still shows up. This is a 23-year-old kid who handles herself with grace. Her crown is heavy. So whatever else y’all want to come at her, for the way that she acts, she has to build the wall, she has to have the wall, because if she doesn’t, people will break her down.

Ariel Atkins said to reporters

Atkins clarified that the media should stop asking Angel Reese about non-basketball-related questions. The only questions that should be fielded to her should be about the game. Atkins believes everything else is already a burden on her younger teammate.

Angel Reese thanks Ariel Atkins for having her back

Ariel Atkins’ words might do some good for Angel Reese as it laid out what reporters after a game should ask. The WNBA champion knows how members of the media keep asking her younger teammate questions that garner more clicks. No wonder the Sky forward was thankful to her veteran teammate.

Angel Reese and her Chicago Sky are struggling with losses
Angel Reese and her Chicago Sky are struggling with losses (Image via WNBA/X)

Love my Vet man.

Angel Reese tweeted

Knowing she has stud veterans in her locker room to back her up is something she could not boast about during her rookie season. Last year, the LSU star had to deal with reporters and their various questions in almost every other media session.

This season, she has already tried to deflect some questions that were asked to intentionally draw her into a controversial topic. She has managed it well so far, but a veteran’s support is something that every young player seeks.

Angel Reese notches another WNBA record

Angel Reese managed to rack up quite a few records in her rookie WNBA season. This time around, her per-game rebounding average is slightly lower, considering she sometimes plays away from the basket. That also means she gets to take shots from further away.

Last night against the New York Liberty, Reese managed to bounce back from a terrible outing against the Indiana Fever in their previous game. The Maryland native managed to get her rebounding prowess back by notching 11 total rebounds.

However, it was her 17 points to lead all teammates that helped her add another record to her resume. She recorded her 30th career double-double, taking only 42 games to get there. She beat Tina Charles’ record of 47 games to garner 30 double-doubles by five games.

Going by how their season is turning out, the last thing on Angel Reese’s mind is individual accolades. She would rather have her team winning games and focus on reaching the playoffs. Even then, any individual accolade is something that stays as long as someone else beats it.

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