If anyone thought Caitlin Clark was the only WNBA rookie being “given the business” by the veteran players, think again.
During Saturday night’s loss to the Connecticut Sun, Chicago Sky rookie star Angel Reese was slung to the ground by her neck in a move more reminiscent of something you would see on a Spirit Airlines flight, as opposed to a basketball court.
The offending player, Alyssa Thomas, was assessed a flagrant-2, which merits an automatic ejection.
Reese was not undaunted by the incident; she made it seem like this was the kind of treatment she expected.
“It’s not just because I’m a rookie. I’m a player. I’m a basketball player. They don’t give a damn if I’m a rookie,” Reese told The Athletic. “I mean, I want them to come at me every day. I want them to come at everybody.”
Angel Reese, #5 of the Chicago Sky, drives to the basket during the game against the Connecticut Sun on May 25, 2024, at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL. (Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)
Reese continued, “They’re not supposed to be nice to me. I hope you all know that. They’re not supposed to be nice to me or lay down because I’m Angel Reese or because I’m a rookie. Like, thank you, AT, for sending a message to me because I got back up, and I kept going and kept pushing. Like me and AT have been cool since we were at Maryland, so I know it’s not hard feelings. I appreciate her for going at me today or every day.”
Caitlin Clark took a similarly brutal hit on Wednesday. However, unlike in the case of Angel Reese, the player who fouled Clark didn’t even get assessed a penalty, much less an ejection.
Reese and Clark are the two biggest stars in the WNBA by far. If the league likes people’s sudden interest in the sport, they might want to tell their veterans to stop beating the heck out of them.