You’ve probably heard people comparing Caitlin Clark to Nikola Jokic. The two names have been taken together for all kinds of reasons—questionable defense, not being the most physical players on the court, accusations of stat-padding, and of course, the ever-controversial topic of white privilege. So when an analyst randomly tossed Angel Reese into the mix—comparing her to Jokic—everyone collectively raised an eyebrow. But don’t worry, it wasn’t for the same reasons. Although… Angel Reese fans might not love where it went.
Now rewind to May 17, 2025, when the Gainbridge Fieldhouse was absolutely buzzing. The crowd was hyped, ready for the showdown between the biggest rivals in the season opener. As Caitlin Clark stepped onto the court, the place erupted. Standing ovation. Cheers. Those who were watching on their television sets probably thought they were about to witness a feel-good home win. But, yeah, that did not quite happen.
After all, Chicago Sky was there too and how could Indiana fans let go of the opportunity too boo them, right? One player in particular got the brunt of it—Angel Reese. The boos were loud, pointed, and definitely not subtle. It only lasted a few minutes before the crowd got back to hyping the Fever, but still—it was clear. The match was going to be intense. However, it went way beyond that, even turning ugly.
Soon after the infamous incident, which got Clark a flagrant 1, there were reports that Fever fans had been hurling racial remarks at Reese. Soon after, the league released its statement, writing that they were looking into the matter. Speaking on the same matter, national analyst Rachel DeMita had a differing opinion from all, or probably one that no one was talking about. She agreed that there should be no place for hate, and if there were fans who actually targeted Reese with those slurs, they should be ready for consequences. However, going beyond that, she said that the players should be ready for such kinds of negative reactions from fans and supporters when they enter the opponent’s arena or home court.
Directly addressing the players, Rachel said, “The players on the court, you should thrive in arenas where you feel like you’re walking into enemy territory. Those are the games that you get up for because you know people don’t like you.”
The analyst also addressed the fans and compared the situation with that of Draymond Green’s where a spectator was taken out and even banned from the arena for spreading hate comments against the NBA player. In fact, last season, Clark had notified security against a similar spectator who was then thrown out for his behaviour. In a rather frustrated tone, Rachel put her foot down in the context of booing, cheering, or chanting in the arena and said, “There’s no space for that but if you want to grow as a league, you have to make space for actual sports fans.”
Angel Reese isn’t the first player to have been a victim of the booing noises from the arena. And though in her most composed manner, she blew a flying kiss to the booing crowd, Rachel feels that the player can still learn a thing or two from Jokic. Taking the example of Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, she shed light on how he deals with the so-called supporters in the enemy territory, despite being one of the best basketball players in the world today.
Showing a clip of Jokic on the hardwood, DeMita said, “Nikola Jokic is warming up. He’s getting boos in his warm-ups 45 minutes before the game starts and OKC fans are booing him. He’s smiling it off, he’s laughing. He know he’s a big player; he’s arguably the best player in the world right now.”
Emphasising on real competitors like Jokic who take the game with sportsmanship, Rachel was quick to point out how the player was all smiles instead of letting it get to his head, before the game began.“He’s going to get boo-ed. He’s walking into enemy territory, he’s walking into arena where every single person has a blue OKC shirt on. That’s what real competitors get up for. They get excited for that. That’s the moment where you go out and you try to show them who you are, ” DeMita said. And rightly so!
Anyway, while Reese might have to stay calmer in the future, the question that many raised was why Jokic? He, too, is a white player after all. You can continue that debate in the comment section. For now, though, she doesn’t necessarily have all the time to focus on these disturbances.
Angel Reese’s Remarkable Season Opener
Despite an embarrassing 58-93 defeat against the Indiana Fever, coupled with a technical foul and an unimpressive stint that further cemented the Clark-Reese rivalry, Angel Reese had a remarkable season opener on May 17, 2025. Establishing her dominance in the paint, Reese garnered 12 points and 17 rebounds against her opponents.
She battled all the odds in her favour and came out on the other end, shining through the boos from the audience and the push from her rival, Caitlin Clark. The promising Sky player’s efforts were visible on the hardwood as she tried to capitalise on the shots and held possession of the ball.
Honestly, she was as composed as she could be. The way Reese dealt with the situation and came out of it impressed her fans and her teammates. She handled the emotional and mental pressures and did not let those tactics tamper with her gameplay. And while Reese became the standout player for Sky, it will be exciting to see how her skills further translate on the court after this.
The post Angel Reese Has a Lot to Learn From Nikola Jokic as Analyst Comments on WNBA Investigation Into Indiana Fever Fans appeared first on EssentiallySports.