Angel Reese is officially tired of living on the losing side of the script. She made that clear when she told the Chicago Tribune, “I’m not settling for the same s−−− we did this year. We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me.” Now, everybody already knew the Sky needed better players, but nobody expected Reese to be the one to grab the mic and say it, in a completely unfiltered manner at that. And as you’d guess, the reaction was immediate. Cue the critics.

First, it was her own team. They suspended Reese for her detrimental statements for the first half of the Aces game. And then began the analysts’ scrutiny. Rodney Rikai of The Fumble, for instance, wasn’t exactly applauding. Sure, Samaira Hamilton pointed out that Reese is only in her second year and is already leading Chicago in points, rebounds, and assists. And yet, she hasn’t had the playoff stage Caitlin Clark has. But Rikai took a harder stance. To him, Reese sounded more entitled than inspirational. In his words: “There are people who have the ability to impact winning, and right now, Angel Reese is not one of those players in your second year, which is fine. You can get better, but don’t start stinking up the aura of the locker room with your frustration.”

Basically, Reese is stirring up the locker room before proving her playoff worth. Now, there’s another analyst who has given her opinions on the bad timing of it all. However, they differ a bit from Rikai’s.

On the latest episode of the No Offseason: Athletic Women’s Basketball Show, reporter Sabreena Merchant shared how Reese’s demands have hit a snag. “I mean, everything she said, other than the fact that she wants the Sky to be aggressive in the offseason. Which, I feel, this season should be an example of maybe being a little bit more patient,” Merchant revealed. Patience. That’s the word that keeps circling Reese’s commentary like a neon sign. But unlike Rikai, Merchant still found Reese’s concerns valid.

“Everything she said is pretty much on track in terms of where the holes in the roster are. Like, how the organization hasn’t put itself in a position to succeed,” Merchant added. “But she did say all of this and really call out the organization and her teammates with five games left in the regular season. And had to go back in the locker room and address all of those teammates afterwards. So, the timing is a little different from where you would expect most stars to make a statement of this sort.”

Also, to Reese’s credit, she has improved significantly this season. She’s had a genuine breakthrough year, raising her shooting efficiency from 39.1% to 45.8% and doubling her playmaking numbers, 3.7 assists compared to 1.9 last season. Progress like that doesn’t happen by accident. But when the team keeps sliding, frustration is inevitable. And as for how her understandable concerns could have chosen better words, she has already set the record straight with a heartfelt apology. “I don’t think I’m frustrated, I probably am frustrated at myself right now. I think the language is taken out of context and I really didn’t intentionally mean to put down my teammates. I want to apologize to my teammates, which I already have about the article,” Reese clarified.

So no, Reese isn’t wrong for saying out loud what everyone was whispering. The sticking point was when she chose to say it. As Terrika Foster-Brasby summed it up, “I don’t think it was the language. I think it was the timing.” Drop those words in the offseason, and maybe they land as bold leadership. Drop them mid-season, and suddenly it’s Chicago Sky Civil War.

Still and all, Reese isn’t taking all these controversies and misunderstood statements as the end of the world. She is doing what she does best: building her empire while advocating for women’s sports.

Angel Reese makes another off-court move

Angel Reese isn’t just looking to dominate in the paint; she wants her voice heard everywhere. On Thursday, Sept. 4, it was announced that she’s officially joining the TOGETHXR ownership group. The collective, which launched in 2021 with the mission of pushing women’s sports forward, just added a whole lot of star power to its roster.

“It’s huge for me,” said Reese.”It means standing alongside women who aren’t just legends in their sports, but real trailblazers in business and culture. They’ve opened doors for so many of us, and now I get to lock arms with them and keep pushing things forward. That’s powerful.“

With this, Reese will be joining forces with co-founders Alex Morgan, Sue Bird, Simone Manuel, and Chloe Kim, who built the collective to amplify women’s sports through authentic storytelling and the slogan Everyone Watches Women’s Sports. Alongside fellow newcomer Michelle Wie West, Reese will be hoping to bring a fresh perspective to the group.

“It’s not so much about teaching them as it is about joining them, and bringing a fresh perspective into everything they’ve already been doing so well,” Reese told USA TODAY Sports. “The foundation is here, and I’m excited to help it keep building.”