Angel Reese debuted the first episode of her new podcast “Unapologetically Angel” on Thursday afternoon, and she wasted no time discussing the hot topics.
Hosting alongside Maya Reese, the Chicago Sky star quickly touched on the long-standing rivalry between her and Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark. Angel shut down any bad blood between the two athletes, emphasizing the respect she has for Clark on and off the court. Angel also opened up about the unfortunate hostility that has come from fans as the presumed rivalry grows, providing a glimpse at just how bad things have gotten.
“Caitlin is an amazing player, and I’ve always thought she was an amazing player,” Angel Reese said on Episode 1 of her podcast. “We’ve been playing each other since high school … And like knowing that, there has never been beef. We talked trash to each other in AAU, it’s been that. But I think it’s really the fans, her fans, the Iowa fans, now the Indiana fans, they ride for her. And I respect that, [when it’s] respectfully.
But, sometimes, it’s very disrespectful. I think there is a lot of racism when it comes to it. And I don’t believe she stands on any of that … I don’t believe in my heart she has hatred toward me. And I’m sure she believes I don’t have hatred toward her.”
Angel went on to share that she has received death threats and had people learn her address or follow her home. She also shared that individuals online have made explicit AI photos of her and sent them to her family.
Unfortunately, the news of this absolutely appalling behavior comes as little surprise. All it takes is a quick scroll on a social media comment section to see the extreme hate Angel has experienced. And while it’s surely not all from fans of Clark’s, there is no denying that some of it stems from that community.
The good news is that Angel clearly knows how to deal with the continuous disrespect, but it’s still extremely disheartening to know she had to learn how to live with this in the first place. To be sure, there is also no denying that Clark must deal with her own hardships, which I’m sure Angel recognizes. However, two wrongs don’t make a right. The whole “rivalry” has become far too toxic.
To hear more of Angel’s thoughts on Clark and many more topics, make sure to check out the first episode of Unapologetically Angel on YouTube. The rookie sensation touches on plenty of juicy topics.