These past few days haven’t been easy for Angel Reese. From watching her boyfriend’s team, the Orlando Magic, collapse after blowing a 3–1 lead against the Detroit Pistons, to hearing fans chant her name inside the arena to taunt him, it’s been a rough stretch. And as if that wasn’t enough, things have now gotten even more difficult for her.

For a long time, Angel Reese has been walking a tightrope between passionate gestures and unsportsmanlike conduct. Right from her LSU days and the “you can’t see me gesture” towards Caitlin Clark to just last year when Reese swatted the clipboard out of the hands of the Sky’s VP of basketball operations Ann Crosby after a late foul call. Now, as Reese approaches a new season with the Atlanta Dream after her memorable trade, her latest act has once again landed her in trouble among fans.

In the second quarter of the Mystics-Dream preseason matchup, Reese received the ball in the corner with an iso set up on Iriafen. She tried to bully-ball her way in with elbows tossed towards Iriafen. But the second year stayed steady. When Reese tried to go around her for a layup, Iriafen swatted the ball away for an emphatic block.

But unfortunately for the Mystics star, she made contact on the play, sending Reese to the floor and the foul was called. As Reese was getting up, she looked at Iriafen with fire in her eyes and emphatically clapped thrice as she went to the line. Iriafen argued with the referees regarding why there wasn’t a call for Reese before her illegal block.  

She eventually had to retreat to the bench because of her fourth foul call. Iriafen won the battle on the day with 11 points and 4 rebounds in the 83-72 win. Reese finished with 10 points while going 3-7 from the field.

It’s no secret that Angel Reese hates to lose. She was suspended from the Chicago Sky last year after her Tribune interview asking for a better team and improved management because she is “not settling for the same sh*t we did this year,” and the team “[has] to get great players.” However, that sometimes rubs fans the wrong way, and her preseason run-in with Iriafen hints at a rivalry worth watching.

The Sky and the Mystics played each other four times last season, with the Windy City franchise winning just one bout… interestingly, the only game Reese sat out. Now, this isn’t to say she’s fared poorly in this matchup; in fact, it’s quite the opposite.

The Bayou Barbie put up 61 points and 38 rebounds across three games against the Mystics, but still couldn’t come away with a win in any of them. That said, those matchups did offer a few clear glimpses of a brewing rivalry between the two stars. When the teams met in June, Angel Reese was seen making contact with Iriafen’s face during a fastbreak. Then in July, during a rebound battle, the Mystics star appeared to take a forearm to the head from Reese in the tussle on the glass.

It’s interesting to look at this rivalry, because you could very well argue that the two share a lot of similar traits.

Iriafen was one of only five players alongside Aliyah Boston, Kamilla Cardoso, Jonquel Jones, Alyssa Thomas, and A’ja Wilson to average at least 12 points and 8 rebounds while shooting 48% or better in 2025. Even more impressively, she became just the seventh rookie in WNBA history to hit those numbers. But that’s not all!

She racked up 16 double-doubles last season, which was also a franchise record, and joined Angel Reese as the only rookies in WNBA history to have multiple streaks of four or more straight double-doubles.

And contrary to what the media might suggest about this rivalry, the Chi-Town Barbie has a lot of respect for the former Trojans star.

Speaking about Citron and Iriafen during the All-Star Game, Angel Reese said: “Two great players coming in from college where they had great college careers, but not a lot of times it translates. And they came in and let it translate over to this team. I think they’ve been a great focal point for matchups because they’ve come in and been intentional with their work.”

They might be rivals on the court, but it’s pretty clear that  Reese has a lot of respect for the Mystics star. That said, the WNBA community saw things a bit differently. Her interaction with Kiki Iriafen raised a few eyebrows, with many fans already leaning into what looks like the start of a real rivalry.

Angel Reese’s Approach Under Review as Iriafen Exposes Key Flaws

“what a horrible body language!!!,” wrote a fan. Reese’s body language and her passion have long been interpreted as unsportsmanlike conduct by many. But the Dream star remains “unapologetic” for her actions, continuing with the same passion and zeal. While some of her past conduct can be debatable, such displays of aggression are overwhelmingly common in the WNBA and the NBA, even in the preseason. However, keeping the behavioral aspect aside, this clash has also stirred up the competition between Iriafen and Reese. 

“Kiki and Reese have a little rivalry that people don’t talk about,” wrote a fan. “She and Kiki had that rivalry going on all through the game,” pointed out another. Kiki Iriafen and Reese are similar players. They are ferocious rebounders with a tendency to dominate the paint. 

Naturally, they ended up guarding each other plenty of times with some physical clashes like this one. They also had an intense clash during the Team USA camp where Iriafen knocked Reese to the floor. 

Even that interaction drew eyebrows regarding their potential clashes in the WNBA. Last year, Reese also hit Iriafen on the face during a fastbreak opportunity for the Mystics, as mentioned above. In June 2025, Reese appeared to strike Kiki in the facial area with her hand after a missed layup. There was no foul announced though. In a sense, they are also competing to become the best frontcourt players in the league, which makes this matchup even tastier. 

“Bodybagged by Kiki, still trying to run the tough guy gimmick from the ground, sure, man,” wrote a fan. 

Reese earned the free throws but it was Iriafen who ended up showing her authority in that block. It was a statement from the youngster that she is capable of guarding Reese, one of the best forwards in the league. But Reese’s stance reply that Iriafen could hold her ground with for only so long before she won the battle. It was an entertaining matchup that could grow even more during the regular season, where they face each other thrice and the stakes are higher.

“i fw angel but come on, how is it year 3 and you still getting f***** swatted like a small guard?” asked a fan. Reese’s technique has come under the radar early this season. Now, she is expected to become the veteran and improve on her previously amateurish shooting technique. Iriafen doesn’t have any size advantage over Reese, as both are listed at 6’3. But it’s a matter of footwork. 

Fans have also pointed out issues with Reese’s shot mechanics. Particularly her tendency to shoot from the hip, which often leads to blocks against strong paint defenders like Kiki Iriafen. More experienced players can do the same thing without fouling and it’s worse if Reese is at a size disadvantage.