What’s the point of being a two-time Olympic gold medalist, the first boxer (male or female) to simultaneously hold all four major world titles in three weight classes, boasting an undefeated record of 16-0 with 3 KOs, and being recognized as a pound-for-pound great, if you don’t get the recognition where it matters? Well, Claressa Shields is right to be angry about that. But was that the way to go about it? Not really. As a result, Shields is now facing criticism over her comments. For those who may not know the whole story, at the 2025 BET Awards on June 9th, Shields was in attendance when Chicago Sky star Angel Reese won the Sportswoman of the Year honor.

Reese had had a breakout season with 17 points and 11 rebounds and became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 30 career double-doubles in just 42 games. Despite being one of the nominees, Claressa Shields went home empty-handed. This likely left Shields disappointed as she expressed her discontent online at being overlooked for her many achievements. In a tweet that quickly drew attention, she wrote, “Still don’t know how I didn’t win the Sportswoman of the Year for the BET Awards, but Congrats to Angel Reese and all the other nominees. I just thought accolades mattered.” Though her tone wasn’t overtly bitter, her words made it clear she felt her accomplishments were overlooked.

When a user defended Angel Reese by pointing out her own accolades, Claressa Shields doubled down. “Yes, she does, but who has more accolades… more success in their field? Please use Google before responding,” she replied. The 30-year-old clarified that she wasn’t throwing shade at Reese, but simply emphasizing that, in terms of trophies, titles, and historic achievements, her resume speaks volumes. “Ain’t nobody saying Angel Reese don’t have accolades or she not good… I’m saying I thought the person with ‘THE MOST’ accolades & accomplishments would win the Award. I’m team Angel Reese!”

Claressa Shields further continued to clarify her stance, stating, “I’m not joining in on any hate train when it comes to (Angel) Reese, I have mad respect for her and all the other female athletes that excel in their sport. As for my earlier comments I am allowed to express my feelings, I was shocked I didnt win, I was under the impression the category was graded on accolades of your sport. It’s ok to be a competitor.” Though Angel Reese hasn’t directly responded to Shields’ comments, the backlash on her post was evident.

For Shields, not winning an award despite her long list of accomplishments was hard to accept, and understandably so. But while disappointment is natural, it was her way of expressing it that didn’t sit well with many fans, sparking criticism and debate across social media, including the Shade Room post that shared a compilation of her tweets.

Time for Claressa Shields to show grace in defeat

“It’s giving biological age is 30 but cognitive functioning is 15 years old… bless her heart 🤏🏾😭✨” one user mocked Claressa Shields. According to this commenter, Shields should have shown more maturity, especially when addressing a younger athlete like Angel Reese. Rather than using the moment to compare accolades, they felt Shields’ congratulatory message came off as passive-aggressive and lacking professionalism.

Another user pointed out, “If the person with the most accolades should’ve won, she STILL would’ve lost 🤷🏾‍♀️..did she forget Simone Biles was in the category as well??” The commenter referenced Biles’ unmatched record, 11 Olympic medals, and 30 World Championship medals by the age of 28, arguing that, in comparison, The GWOAT’s achievements were not enough to warrant a win. For them, Claressa Shields’ complaint didn’t hold weight considering the level of competition.

Taking a dig at her rise in public recognition, one user wrote, “Bro we didn’t even know who you were til you started fw remy ex husband 😂.” Another chimed in with a sharper critique: “She needs media training. Her attitude is overlooking the accolades. Baby tell people to go stream @thefireinsidemovie and keep focused on getting people to know you beyond REMY AND PAP.” The sentiment here was that Shields’ brash persona and unfiltered presence were harming her image more than helping it.

The criticism didn’t stop there. One user bluntly joked, “I’ve come to the conclusion…. She got hit in the head too many times.” Another user, clearly fed up, added, “I can’t stand this lady can we move on from her now?” Meanwhile, another commenter brought up her upcoming July 26th fight, writing, “IF SHE LOSE ON JULY 26TH……OH MY GOSH 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂.” Claressa Shields’ frequent flaunting of her accomplishments was a key point of critique. For this user, if the 16-0 boxer were to suffer her first professional loss, it would significantly undercut her bold claims and diminish her platform to speak so confidently. Finally, summing up the overall tone of the backlash, one user wrote, “And this is exactly why you didn’t win young man.”

That said, it seems Claressa Shields needs to understand that winning the award isn’t solely based on professional records, but rather on votes from academy members. So while Angel Reese is still quiet on this matter, the way Shields expressed herself lacked a certain nuance, which is why she faced backlash. Regardless, do you think Claressa Shields will be able to maintain her undefeated record against Lani Daniels?