Angel Reese Divulges On Ground Slam During Game: "It's Just Basketball"

BYGabriel Bras Nevares962 Views
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Atlanta Braves v Chicago Cubs
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 21: Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky takes the field for a ceremonial first pitch before a game between the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on May 21, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Griffin Quinn/Getty Images)
Alyssa Thomas' hard foul on Angel Reese got her ejected from the game, and Reese took it in stride and did not harp on the matter.

Angel Reese received a very hard foul from Alyssa Thomas during the Chicago Sky's game against the Connecticut Sun, which has caused a lot of conversation. In fact, it was an immediate point of contention and scrutiny in the game itself, as the refs ejected Thomas after the foul. However, its recipient reminded folks that basketball is just an obviously physical and hard-fought sport, and that not every blow struck has intentions of representing actual animosity. During the post-game interview and a simple tweet after the game, Reese cleared the air on the Thomas foul and gave her props for keeping things competitive and earnest.

"Not just 'cause I'm a rookie, I'm a player," Angel Reese told reporters at the crowd during the Chicago Sky's post-game conference. "I'm a basketball player, they don't give a damn if I'm a rookie. I mean, I want them to come at me every day, I want them to come at everybody. I mean, they're not supposed to be nice to me, I hope y'all know that. They're not supposed to be nice to me or lay down because I'm Angel Reese or 'cause I'm a rookie. Like, thank you AT for sending the message to me, because I got back up and I kept going and kept pushing. Like, me and AT have been cool since we were in Maryland, so I know it's not no hard feelings. I appreciate her for going at me every day. Or today."

Angel Reese Speaks & Tweets About Alyssa Thomas' Foul

Elsewhere, though, Angel Reese is making it somewhat clear who she rocks with in basketball and who she doesn't. We say "somewhat" because some fans thought that her shots at Charles Barkley equally applied to Caitlin Clark. As two of the biggest stars in women's basketball right now, it's natural for some competitive rivalry to form. But right now, it's very hard to call whether that's a media-fabricated narrative or a legit one.

Regardless, Angel Reese is rising high and fast, invoking the memory of Kobe Bryant when she got the chance to hold the Larry O'Brien trophy recently. There is seemingly no ceiling for her, and the outrage around this foul points to her superstar status. Hopefully these athletes can continue to keep competition passionate, interesting, and hard-fought without risking injury too much. At the end of the day, sports don't need excessive contact for them to cause some scary scuffles every once in a while.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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