Online trolling is nothing new in sports; whether it’s the NBA or the WNBA, athletes often find themselves under fire when their performances dip. Remember last year when Caitlin Clark was asked about the incessant online trolling players faced? Her message was clear. “It’s definitely upsetting. Nobody in our league should be facing any sort of racism — hurtful, disrespectful, hateful comments and threats. Those aren’t fans, those are trolls, and it’s a real disservice to the people in our league, the organization, the WNBA.” Today, another star continues the fight.
While many stars choose to stay silent or step away from social media, Angel Reese is taking a different route. She’s not backing down; instead, she’s owning the moment, firing back at the hate with confidence. In a surprising twist, this move has earned her praise from her harshest critics.
One of the most common criticisms Angel Reese has faced early in her pro career is her inability to consistently finish around the rim. But her rebounding abilities are undeniable. So much so that she is currently the rebounding leader in the league with 11.8 rebounds per game. But that hasn’t stopped fans from hating on her.
“Mebounds” is a term fans have coined for Angel Reese, poking fun at how often she grabs her own misses. But that didn’t demotivate Reese, and her next move to counter hate has even earned her some well-deserved praise from Rachel DeMita as well!
She decided to trademark the word “Mebounds” and released a TikTok on June 14 to thank the fans for coining the word. According to reports, her team filed the trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office under the goods and services category. What started as internet trolling is now part of her brand. “Whoever came up with the ‘mebounds’ thing, y’all ate that up. Because mebounds, crebounds, keybounds, tebounds… anything that comes off the board, it’s mine. Whoever came up with that, the trolling, I love when y’all do it, because the ideas be good,” she said
DeMita also gave her take on this move on her YouTube channel. She said, “But Angel Reese, kudos to her. Like, checkmate. This was such a brilliant idea to trademark the term MeBounds. I love this. This is just because we’re finally getting the sense of humor back into sports. Like, not everything needs to be taken so seriously.”
A TikTok account named Stat Stuffer had been selling “MeBounds” T-shirts featuring Angel Reese. But with the new trademark application in place, it’ll now be nearly impossible for the creator to continue selling that merch without getting Reese’s permission or paying her royalties if it gets approved. A brilliant move! Instead of using her platform to shut it all the trolls down, the Bayou Barbie took a smarter route! She embraced the joke and used it to elevate her brand even more.
But have you ever wondered how the term “MeBounds” actually came into existence? Well, you’re in the right place! Let’s take a quick dive into the origin of the viral nickname and how it all started.
Mebounds: How did Angel Reese’s viral nickname come into existence
An article by Ngwa Numfor of The Athletic sheds light on how the now-viral nickname “MeBounds” came to life. It all started on an episode of the Club 520 podcast, hosted by former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague, along with DJ Wells and Brandon “Bishop B Hen” Hendricks.
May 31, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) reacts to an official during the first half against the Dallas Wings at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
On the show, Hendricks playfully coined the term “mebounds” to describe Angel Reese’s habit of rebounding her own misses. While he later clarified on X that it wasn’t meant as a diss, it was too late! The internet had found its new toy, and they ran away with it. But Reese, being Reese, had not let it affect her.
She became the second-youngest player in WNBA history to record a triple-double, leading the Sky to a big win over the Connecticut Sun. Once again, she’s shown that no amount of online hate can slow her down. Her game continues to speak louder than the noise. A clear testament of the work she puts in day in and day out.
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