Angel Reese walked into the postgame presser with a double-double in her back pocket and exhaustion written across her face. After all, she had just led her team with 17 points and 11 rebounds against the red-hot New York Liberty. It was her 30th career double-double—in just her 42nd WNBA game, the fastest anyone’s ever done it. But the scoreboard was merciless. Chicago lost 85-66, turned the ball over 22 times, and trailed by as much as 34. And as Reese fielded questions, trying to balance vulnerability with resolve, her Olympian WNBA champion teammate stepped in.
“How old are you?” Ariel Atkins asked, turning toward Reese.
“Twenty-three,” Reese replied with a small smile.
That was all Atkins needed.
“I’m sorry, can I? Can I say something?” she began. “This is a 23-year-old kid. And the amount of crap that she gets on a day-to-day, she still shows up. So whatever questions y’all got, like, about our team, basketball-wise, we appreciate it. But all the other nonsense, like, it’s irrelevant. Like, we here to play basketball and do what we do. We having a hard time right now at the end of the day. This is a 23-year-old kid who handles herself with grace. Her crown is heavy.”
Atkins wasn’t done. Her voice didn’t tremble—it surged.
Ariel Atkins addresses the unnecessary criticism Angel Reese receives that has nothing to do with basketball. pic.twitter.com/gz8vmxmN7P
— I talk hoops (@trendyhoopstars) June 11, 2025
“So whatever else like y’all want to come at her for the way that she acts, she has to build the wall. She has to have the wall, because if she doesn’t, people will break her down, not only just because of the way she looked, but because of the way she carries herself. She doesn’t just walk around and act like, ‘Oh, I’m this and this.’ No. She knows who she is, and we ain’t gonna break her down for that. So whatever other questions y’all got, like, I’m hoping it’s just about basketball, maybe a box score question, but the kid’s crown is heavy. Like, respect that.”
Atkins’ 58-second stand wasn’t just a moment—it was a message. Reese may still be early in her professional journey, but the weight she carries has long surpassed her age. The Sky are struggling, now 2-6, and missing Courtney Vandersloot, who tore her ACL. Their offensive engine is sputtering. They shot just 42.4% from the field against New York and hit only 6 of 23 from deep. But Reese? She was a constant in the chaos.
She muscled through Liberty defenders, finishing 8-for-13 from the field and pulling down 11 boards, 4 of them offensive. Even as the game unraveled—with Sabrina Ionescu pouring in 23 points and Breanna Stewart adding 18—Reese stayed aggressive. Her five turnovers spoke to the pressure she faced; her poise in the face of it, to the strength Atkins described.
Atkins’s words weren’t just teammate loyalty. They were an acknowledgment of the tightrope Reese walks: producing at a high level while defending her image, identity, and confidence. That kind of double duty doesn’t show up in a box score.
Developing Story……..
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