NFL legend Marshall Lynch once famously said, “I’m here so I won’t get fined” when discussing participating in Media Day and pressers. If you’re going to be a famous NFL, NBA, or WNBA player, you would find yourself as the center of the Q&A sessions by media members at every presser.

However, with time, it is easy to form a disinterest in the pressers due to emotional vulnerability after losses, frustration with repetitive questions, invasive ones, or the simple distrust of the media’s motives. This is why Angel Reese, despite earning less than the star NFL and NBA athletes out there, is willing to hold a stance opposite to that of Marshall Lynch.

The WNBA star recently hosted another episode of her ‘Unapologetically Angel’ show. During the same time, she stated that she gets scared about what the media would ask her even before the game begins. Angel Reese believes that even if she is asked the ‘nicest question’, it is somehow going to get flipped or put into a different light.

After two years in the WNBA, Reese can now confidently say, “I don’t want to do an interview with anybody. Like, I get excited for certain people, like a Taylor (Rooks), like certain people I know I can talk to, but like certain….. like, I’ll take the fine. I literally will take the fine. I’d rather take the fine. I’d rather take the fine sometimes rather than talking to the media, because it always gets flipped”.

Angel Reese has received criticism over her remarks in the past, even though she didn’t mean to say it in the context that was portrayed to the media. It was only a few days ago when Angel Reese received a barrage of criticism for saying that people are going to be wearing her signature Reebok shoes everywhere, “just like how they wear Jordans everywhere”.

The same wasn’t a clear statement, but a hopeful wish, as Reese added that “I want people to wear the Angel Reese 1s everywhere and just to be a household name, to have no limits on what I can do and what I can accomplish.” Even renowned NBA sportscaster Stephen A. Smith jumped on the bandwagon, saying that “Angel Reese calling herself the Michael Jordan of the WNBA? With all due respect, she’s not even the Michael Jordan of her own team!”

It is no secret that Angel Reese has been at the forefront of the rise in popularity of women’s basketball. Over the last 3 years, even before she joined the WNBA, she was pictured as one of Caitlin Clark’s main rivals. This draws the attention of the media more towards her than other players out there. However, the creation and promotion of this ‘rivalry’ by the media hasn’t been taken well by Reese.

Back in September 2024, she openly stated that “For the past 2 years, the media has benefited from my pain & me being villainized to create a narrative. They allowed this. This was beneficial to them”. Reese claimed that anything beyond criticism about playing the game “is wrong” and stated that such reported hate narratives caused her to start her own podcast so that she could “take my voice back and create the narrative of who I really am”.

Angel Reese has been trying long and hard to squash the narratives and, as she mentioned, ‘flipped’ discussions about her. However, when taking on a force like the popular media, you need more than your own voice. Fortunately, the player has the support of her teammates.

Ariel Atkins Defended Angel Reese From Media Criticism

Back in June, Ariel Atkins took a shot at the media, in defense of Angel Reese, by stating that “This is a 23-year-old kid. And the amount of crap that she gets on the day to day, and she still shows up. So whatever questions y’all got about our team, basketball-wise, we appreciate it. But all the other nonsense, it’s irrelevant. We’re here to play basketball and do what we do. We’re having a hard time right now, at the end of the day.”

Ariel Atkins’ remarks came after Reese was asked whether her performance would send a message to her online critics in a postgame press conference following an 85-66 loss to the New York Liberty. After all, despite the Sky losing, Reese had delivered her best performance of the season, till that point, by recording 17 points, along with 11 rebounds and 3 assists, by shooting 8-13 field goals, 1-3 3-pointers, and 0-1 free throws. Since Atkins was sitting right next to Reese when the question was asked, she was in an immediate position to defend her teammate.

“That’s 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 a wall,” Atkins added. “She has to have a wall. Because if she doesn’t, people will break her down.”

Ariel Atkins’ remarks got appreciated by Giannis Antetokounmpo himself. The Milwaukee Bucks star retweeted the video from the presser and wrote, “That’s a great teammate right there💯💪🏾”. Even Angel Reese retweeted the video and wrote, “Love my Vet man🥺💗”. It is good knowing that, in the fight you are fighting, you have some people to rely on to support you.

Do you feel Angel Reese is justified in her remarks about the media? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.