Nearly two weeks into the 29th WNBA season, and it’s been a whirlwind. From nail-biters to controversies, the league hasn’t had a dull moment, and now, there’s fresh drama brewing. And yes, once again, it involves Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. This time, it’s about basketballs — quite literally. Wilson, the official ball partner of the WNBA, dropped a big announcement Thursday evening. They’re rolling out their 2025 WNBA Player Icon Collection. But what should’ve been a celebration has already sparked debate. And right at the center of it is the Bayou Barbie herself.
We all know about Caitlin Clark’s headline-worthy partnership with Wilson. The 2024 draft’s number 1 overall pick signed a multi-year deal with the iconic basketball brand and became the first athlete to do so since Michael Jordan in the 1980s, according to Boardroom. That’s how big it was!
The deal also gave fans something special– her very own signature basketball collection. “I loved that thing more than anything. My brothers and I would always fight over it,” Clark told Boardroom. “That was the best basketball. But I’m just super excited to have a collaboration and create basketballs together that are really cool.”
And now, Wilson, the $6.5 billion sporting goods powerhouse, is making headlines again with the launch of its 2025 WNBA Player Icon Collection. As expected, Caitlin Clark is a key part of the release. But she’s joined by six other stars, including Angel Reese, Napheesa Collier, and A’ja Wilson.
What was meant to be a celebration of the league’s biggest names quickly turned controversial. While many applauded the lineup, some in the WNBA community were less than thrilled about Angel Reese’s inclusion. Social media didn’t waste a second. Reactions came in fast and fierce.
Fans react to Angel Reese’s inclusion in the new Wilson campaign
This isn’t the first time Wilson has put both Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark in the spotlight together. Ahead of last year’s All-Star Game, they launched a similar collection, and even then, the backlash was loud. Fast forward to now, and the sentiment hasn’t changed much. “Giving Angel Reese a custom ball when the only thing she does with it is miss,” one fan commented.
While the comment was clearly aimed at Reese’s 31% field goal percentage so far this season, the message was clear. Fans weren’t thrilled about her being featured alongside the likes of two-time MVP A’ja Wilson, scoring leader Napheesa Collier, and reigning Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark. One fan even went as far as posting the “clown among soldiers” meme with the caption “Angel Reese,” taking a brutal jab at her inclusion in the star-studded collection.
Angel Reese pic.twitter.com/mTnAvIS78H
— Carl (@__C_A_R_L___) May 29, 2025
But the fans didn’t hold back there. One brutally sarcastic comment read, “Be aware: Angel Reese’s ball was made of fake leather and bricks. The goal is not to make any shots, so you can practice with the offensive rebounds. LMAOOOOOOOOO!!!” It was a jab not just at her shooting, but also a reference to a recurring theme this season. Reese chasing down her own misses. Her relentless work on the paint has seen her average rise to an impressive 14 per game. Another fan joined in on this conversation, saying, “Angel’s ball won’t go in the rim but it’s easy to rebound.”
There was one wild stat that blew up on X not too long ago. According to Grok AI, around 35% of Angel Reese’s offensive rebounds in 2024 (roughly 53 out of 150) were from her own missed shots. And for 2025, with her current pace of 7.0 offensive boards per game, around 78 of 224 are estimated to be self-rebounds. That’s nearly 15% of her 418 total rebounds.
Ever since that stat came out, the trolling aimed at Angel Reese hasn’t slowed down one bit. But not everyone was jumping on the hate train. Some fans were quick to show their support. “Funny ppl say they don’t care bout Angel Reese but most of these comments is about her lol,” one user pointed out. And they aren’t all wrong. Reese is bringing her own flair. We saw the growth in the off-season, bagging the Unrivaled DPOY and Second Team honors. And can’t ignore that every time she faces off Clark, the world tunes in. It’s “the” rivalry in women’s basketball right now. So when Wilson included Reese in their new collection, it actually made sense.
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