If Candace Parker’s podcast Post Moves reinforces anything, it’s that she’s never been shy about speaking her mind. Are you scared of blunt truths? Stay away from Parker because that’s her lane. For example, a few weeks ago, Parker stirred things up by ranking the W’s elite on her own S-A-B-C scale: S being the cream of the crop, C being the bottom tier, and the result wasn’t merry. Whether it’s the league itself (“pay us what you owe us”) or a fellow star, Parker’s never missed a chance to call it like she sees it. And that honesty doesn’t stop at the next generation either, just ask Angel Reese.

Coming back to S-A-B-C, these are the finest players she’s grading, so making the list at all is an achievement. Still, Reese wasn’t exactly thrilled with where she landed. The list went like this:

• S: A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart
• A: Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Plum, Sabrina Ionescu
• B: Arike Ogunbowale, Paige Bueckers
• C: Cameron Brink, Angel Reese

Yep, Reese was parked at the bottom. Parker didn’t flinch when asked about it either. “I put her right at that C level,” she said. “I think in terms of being above, you have to be able to have the ability to carry a team and be a 1 or 2 option. I think Angel Reese is fantastic at her role, which is offensive rebounding.” Fast-forward to Reese’s return from a back injury. When an interviewer asked her for a response, she simply shrugged it off.

Yes, “I’m not answering that,” was the response. There’s no doubt that the list stung her. But here’s where confusion came into the picture for fans. On the very night Parker’s Aces faced Reese’s team, Parker praised Angel Reese’s potential in a sideline chat, and that sudden flip only made fans revisit that C-tier call. Now, many are nodding along. But why? And what’s really happening here? Let’s break it down…

Fans Got Angel Reese C’d Up

It all kicked off with a clip floating around of Candace Parker talking about Angel Reese’s potential. And Parker didn’t hold back on the praise: “I think it’s endless, honestly,” she said. “You look at her body, you look at her ability to get up and down the floor — and I don’t think it’s just on the offensive end. I think it’s on the defensive end, as well. And so I think, with a coach like Tyler Marsh, that has come from a winning pedigree with the Aces… I think the Sky is the limit, no pun intended.”

That’s some high-level confidence coming from a three-time WNBA champion. And Parker’s resume backs it up, too: she’s only the second player in league history to have her number retired by two different franchises. Earlier this summer, Los Angeles raised her jersey to honor the 2016 title she helped deliver, and Chicago followed suit. That puts her in rare air alongside Lindsay Whalen, whose number hangs in both Connecticut and Minnesota. So, why the hypocrisy?

Not quite, because Candace Parker’s message has always been about potential. “Sky being the (future) limit” is the key phrase here. Translation: she believes Angel Reese can get there, but she’s not there yet. And fans seem to agree. “Reese is the role player and C-tier that Parker said she is,” one wrote. But why did that chatter heat up again? Cue Reese’s performance that night versus the Aces: 10 points, impressive 17 rebounds, yet on a losing cause.

The buzz was everywhere as “this was supposed to be the game where Angel Reese could prove Candace Parker wrong, but so far 😬.” It isn’t hard to get into Parker’s top rating, because all it takes is carrying the team to a win. Losing just by 5 points, the ladder slipped again. Another posted midgame stats with the caption, “😬 Angel Reese on Candace Parker night in Chicago at the halftime!” It’s fair because Angel Reese wasn’t exactly dragging her team, but she also didn’t carry them like always.

Her teammate Ariel Atkins dropped a game-high 30, and the Sky still fell 79-74. Some fans even got harsh: “If the Sky take Angel Reese off right now, the Sky could win this game. #ChicagoSky.” Maybe a bit dramatic. Because even on an “off” night, Reese went and made history. Monday night, she notched her 46th career double-double. In that process, she broke Tina Charles’ long-standing record of 45 in just her second season. It was also her 20th of the 2025 campaign.

And yet, the internet wasn’t clapping. Instead, the whispers about favoritism popped up: “Angel Reese fouls go uncalled. The league wants to push her so bad.” Honestly, that’s been a league-wide talking point this season, but whether it applies to Angel Reese or not, that’s for you to decide. So, what tier are you putting her in? Drop it in the comments.