First, Allen Iverson knitted together a wreath of praises for Angel Reese. It could be the Reebok connection talking, but his words expressed more than that. “I love everything about her,” Iverson said. “I love what she stands for. She reminds me of my little sister. She’s dope to me. She reminds me of myself hoop wise and on a personal level too.” Then, NFL’s Tom Brady joined the list. While he also named A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark as athletes on his personal Mount Rushmore of “GOAT” athletes, the inclusion of Angel Reese was baffling to many.

Even more so after the rough outing Reese had against Indiana, managing just 4 points along with 12 rebounds and 2 assists. It was arguably her worst performance of the season, and that says a lot considering the Bayou Barbie is deep in a sophomore slump. Even though Tyler Marsh did not place the blame on her in the post-match conference, saying, “I don’t think Angel struggled tonight. I think we struggled as a team,” it does little to shift the spotlight when your franchise cornerstone continues to underperform.

So, amid all this praise and underwhelming performances, Angel Reese has been finding herself increasingly scrutinized, becoming the subject of criticisms and jokes alike. This only intensified when CBS Sports released a clip that many perceived as misrepresenting the situation, further fueling public backlash.

Fans accuse CBS Sports of pushing an agenda regarding Angel Reese

Media organizations like CBS Sports often find themselves at the center of criticism, accused either of hyping up certain players or unfairly tearing others down. This time, it’s the former. CBS Sports posted a clip of Angel Reese making a layup against the Indiana Fever, which quickly drew backlash from fans who saw it as an attempt to overhype Reese. 

CBS captioned the clip with “Angel Reese making it look easy,” implying that Reese had pulled off a difficult play with ease. However, fans were quick to call out the post. “She had 4 points the whole game. This was two of them. What narrative have you been told to push?” wrote one fan, summing up the frustration shared by many. That incredibly routine basket accounted for half of Reese’s total points on the day, making the glowing caption seem out of touch with reality.

However, accusations that CBS Sports is deliberately pushing a narrative may be a bit premature. Angel Reese is currently the most followed WNBA athlete on Instagram and boasts a massive presence across social media platforms. Her name alone drives engagement, and for media outlets like CBS Sports, clicks, likes, and shares are the currency. Hyping up Reese, even in underwhelming moments, is less about favoritism and more about capitalizing on her star power to boost visibility and interaction. 

“Open layups, for a large majority of professional basketball players, are incredibly easy.” Wrote another fan. The league average within 3 feet stands at 64.3 percent, and considering that Reese’s shot was uncontested, that accuracy further increases by a lot. She was expected to make that shot very easily, and she did. If her performance across the game was at least average, then we won’t be speaking about this as much as we are. 

“A layup… man the bar has been set quite low,” wrote another fan. To be fair, CBS Sports did not have much material to work with from a game where the Chicago Sky struggled across the board. So, they farmed whatever they could. 

This kind of content, while intended to generate engagement, can backfire. When a simple layup is presented as a highlight, it reinforces the belief that the WNBA lacks real excitement, which hurts the league’s broader image. In today’s media landscape, perception is often shaped by what trends on social platforms, and when that perception feels inflated or disconnected, it invites skepticism instead of support. 

“She is actually making this wide-open layup look incredibly hard,” wrote one fan, echoing a growing wave of criticism surrounding Angel Reese’s technique. Her fundamentals have been under scrutiny for a while, with both analysts and fans pointing out a consistent flaw: whether she’s driving, posting up, or chasing an offensive rebound, Reese often brings the ball down to her hip before going up for the shot.

That mechanical lapse has had tangible consequences. Reese has been blocked 18 times this season, which is more than any other player in the league. Even when she avoids the block, her low release point forces the ball to travel farther and at more awkward angles, often leading to missed opportunities. The result? An inefficient scoring approach that makes her easier to defend in the paint. According to Basketball Reference, she’s shooting an abysmal 28.9% on shots from zero to three feet.

The Sky will hope that this wave of criticism serves as fuel for Reese’s growth. While much of it can be dismissed as fan trolling, some of it raises valid concerns, especially about her mechanics and finishing ability. If Reese wants to become an elite player in the league, the expectations around her must rise. The standard should be higher than what CBS or anyone else has set so far.