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Angel Reese - The Tragic Fall Of A WNBA Super Star
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Apr 25, 2025
Angel Reese - The Tragic Fall Of A WNBA Super Star Angel Reese rose to prominence as a WNBA superstar, captivating fans with her undeniable talent and passion for the game. Once a dominant force on the court, she shattered records and inspired countless aspiring athletes. But behind the glamour and fame, a series of unexpected challenges began to unravel her path. What really caused her sudden downfall? Subscribe Click here to subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVgOtkardAJQAVrYpDXTSlg Click here to subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVgOtkardAJQAVrYpDXTSlg Stay tuned for everything basketball RIGHT NOTICE: The Copyright Laws of the United States recognize a “fair use” of copyrighted content. Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act states: “Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.” This video and our YouTube channel, in general, may contain certain copyrighted works that were not specifically authorized to be used by the copyright holder(s), but which we believe in good faith are protected by federal law and the fair use doctrine for one or more of the reasons noted above. Fair Dealing: Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988 (UK) section 30 states “Fair dealing” with a work for the purposes of criticism or review, of that or another work, does not infringe any copyright in the work provided that it is accompanied by a sufficient acknowledgement. Copyright in a work is not infringed by the use of a quotation from the work (whether for criticism or review or otherwise).-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Angel Reese, the versatile and talented basketball star, has captured the hearts of many with her
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outstanding skills and unwavering determination. But slowly, she began to succumb to the vices of
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the world. From her recent use of steroids to her over-sexualizing herself, 2024 has been a
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hellfire for the WNBA superstar. Let's take a deep look into what caused her untimely downfall
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As a basketball player for Louisiana State University, Reese was a force on and off the
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winning everything there was to win and earning the nickname Bayou Barbie for her fierce look
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Now, the breakout WNBA star and BOF 500 member is making waves in fashion and beauty
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from pregame tunnel walks to red carpet appearances and landing deals with major brands
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Reese attended St. Francis Academy in Baltimore, Maryland, where she was awarded McDonald's
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All-American honors in 2020 and ranked the number two player in her class by ESPN. She joined the
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Maryland Terrapins as the highest ranked recruit in program history, though her freshman season in
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2020-21 was interrupted by a fractured right foot. She was named a third-team All-American by the
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Associated Press as a sophomore. In her junior season, Reese transferred to LSU and became a
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unanimous first-team All-American selection. She led LSU to its first national championship and was
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named most outstanding player. Reese set the NCAA single season record in double doubles and the SEC
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single season record in rebounds. As a senior, she was named SEC player of the year and an All-American
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Reese was selected by the Chicago Sky with the seventh overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft. In
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her rookie season, she was named a WNBA All-Star and set the league single-season record in rebounds
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At the international level, she helped the United States win a silver medal at the 2023 FIBA Women's
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America. Born on May 6, 2002 in Randallstown, Maryland to Angel and Michael Reese, Angel learned
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basketball from her mother at a young age and grew up playing against her brother Julian in their
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driveway. She competed in a recreational league in Baltimore County, where her mother also played
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emerging as one of the best players in the city. Known for her success in playing above her age group and on boys' teams
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Reese initially played the point guard position before two growth spurts by her first year of high school
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Besides basketball, she participated in ballet, gymnastics, swimming, and track during her childhood
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Reese often attended Washington Mystics games, drawing inspiration from WNBA players Candice Parker and Maya Moore
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as well as former NBA player and Baltimore native Muggsy Bogues. She was coached by Ron James with Team Takeover, an AAU program based in Washington, D.C
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that competes in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, UIBL, a national circuit
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Her AAU teammates included Madison Scott, Mir McLean, and Jokia Brown-Turner, all of whom were given five-star ratings by ESPN at the end of their high school careers
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Reese attended St. Francis Academy in Baltimore, Maryland, where she was a four-year varsity basketball player under head coach Jerome Shelton
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Early in her career, she was teammates with future WNBA player Nia Cloudon
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Due to her size and athleticism, she could play all five positions and entered the starting
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lineup midway through her first season. As a freshman, Reese averaged 11.1 points and 11 rebounds per game, earning all Metro
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first team honors from the Baltimore Sun. She helped her team win the IAM conference title and finish the season with a 30-1 record
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Her team suffered its only loss to Hamilton Heights Christian Academy at the High School
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Nationals semifinals, where Reese recorded 20 points and 24 rebounds and made a put-back shot
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to beat the buzzer and send the game to overtime. She was named to the High School Nationals all-tournament
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team. In her sophomore season, Reese repeated as an all-metro first-team selection, helping St
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Francis win the IAM, a conference championship, and achieving a 24-4 record. She averaged 17.6
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points 12 rebounds 3 assists and 1 blocks per game leading her team in all four categories Following the season Reese played in the Capital Classic and was named her team
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most valuable player after guiding the United States Future Stars to a 115-80 win over the
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Capital All-Stars. She was suspended early in her junior season after punching an opposing player
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in the face during a preseason scrimmage. No charges were filed. Reese averaged 22.6 points
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and 19.3 rebounds per game as a junior, and was named All-Metro Player of the Year by the Baltimore Sun
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after leading St. Francis to the IAM, a conference title. That year, she led Team Takeover to the Nike EYBL Championship
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posting 18 points and 11 rebounds in a 57-47 win over All-Iowa attack in the final
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My name is Angel Reese. I play for Team Takeover, and I'm a guard
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In January 2020, Archbishop Spalding High School head coach Lisa Smith was fired after her private messages on Instagram criticizing Reese's behavior were made public
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Reese's mother felt that the messages included racial overtones by attributing Reese's success
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to being genetically gifted. On January 31st, Reese's number 10 jersey was retired by St
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Francis, making her the first female player to receive the honor. As a senior, she averaged 18.6
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points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game, winning her fourth straight I Am a
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conference championship and helping her team finish with a 25-3 record. Reese was selected
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to play at the McDonald's All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic, two major high school
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all-star games, but both were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She repeated as All-Metro
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Player of the Year and was also named High School Female Athlete of the Year by the Baltimore Sun
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Reese finished her career with 1,020 points, second in St. Francis history to Melba Chambers
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and won 250 rebounds. In addition to basketball, Reese was a member of the volleyball team at St
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Francis, playing the outside hitter position. In her freshman season, she helped the team win the
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IAMC Conference Championship, the school's first IAM title in a sport other than basketball
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Reese led St. Francis to another IAMC Conference title as a sophomore. Reese was considered a
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five-star recruit, the number two player, and the top wing in the 2020 class by ESPN. By her
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junior season of high school, she held scholarship offers from over 24 NCAA Division I basketball
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programs, including Maryland, South Carolina, and Louisville. On November 1st, 2019, she announced
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her commitment to Maryland, becoming the highest ranked recruit in program history
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She made the right decision. I think it's a great fit. I'm looking forward to the next four years
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I'm going to be in a leading tournament, and I'm looking forward to all the local support
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Her other finalists were South Carolina, USC, Syracuse, and Tennessee. On November 13th, Reese signed a national letter of intent with the program
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She was drawn to Maryland because of its proximity to her home, head coach Brenda Fries, who had recruited her since 8th grade
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and assistant coach Shea Robinson. She preferred to play with a post player in Shakira Austin
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who transferred from the program before Reese's first season. She was also attracted to Maryland by its strong academics
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and the Philip Merrill College of Journalism. Reese's mother, Angel Reese, née Webb, played college basketball for UMBC, where she was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame, and her number 10 jersey was retired
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She later played professionally in Luxembourg. Reese's father, Michael Reese, with whom she does not have a close relationship, played basketball for Boston College in Loyola, Maryland, before embarking on a professional career in Luxembourg, Cyprus, Austria, and Portugal
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Reese was raised by her mother and maternal grandparents, Curtis and Barbara Webb
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Her younger brother, Julian, plays college basketball for Maryland and competed for St
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Francis Academy. Reese's stepbrother, Mikael Hopkins, is a professional basketball player. Her cousin, Jordan Hawkins, plays in the NBA and helped the UConn Huskies men's team win
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the 2023 NCLA Championship. She dated Florida State men basketball player Cameron Fletcher from 2023 until early 2024 She has described Hall of Fame basketball player and LSU alumnus Shaquille O as a father figure Angel Reese majored in interdisciplinary studies at Louisiana State
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University and communications at the University of Maryland College Park. She has expressed
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interest in broadcasting and modeling after her basketball career. For off the court
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I want to own a team and I want to own a modeling agency. Reese was a member of the honor role in
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high school and is represented by agent janine ogbanaya of the clearview group who has worked
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with her since her time at maryland she has signed with the society management for managing her
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fashion endeavors reese was estimated to be one of the highest earning college athletes from name
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image and likeness nil deals after her junior season she surpassed one million dollars in nil
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valuation leading all women's college basketball players according to college sports website on
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On October 17, 2023, she signed an endorsement deal with Reebok, drawn to the company by its
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new president of basketball, Shaquille O'Neal, and becoming its first signing since O'Neal took
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on the role. Reese has also signed deals with Amazon, Bose, Coach, Discord, Outback Steakhouse
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Sonic, TurboTax, Wingstop, and Xfinity, among other companies. Due to her success with NIL
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Reese was featured alongside LSU gymnast and NIL figure Livvy Dunn on the October 2023 cover of
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Sports Illustrated's Money Issue, titled Generation Niel. In July 2023, Reese announced the launch of
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the Angel C. Reese Foundation, aiming to empower girls through sports, education, and financial
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literacy. She became a part owner of the USL Super League professional soccer team DC Power FC in May
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2024. Reese has established a large social media following, which grew rapidly after her junior
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season in college. She entered the 2023 NCAA tournament with 447,000 Instagram followers
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and surpassed 1 million by the end. In the following month, she reached 2 million followers
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Nicknamed Bayou Barbie, after transferring to LSU, the nickname refers to her presence in Baton Rouge
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Louisiana, and her on-court style, with eyelash extensions and long pink nails
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She credits a fan in Baton Rouge for creating the nickname, and she filed for a trademark in her first season at LSU, though it was denied
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With the Chicago Sky, she's been called the Chitown Barbie or the Chai Barbie
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The Barbie part, obviously, because my hair, nails, and stuff. I look like this on the court
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In August 2024, Reese signed a sponsorship deal with Reese's, and her fans used the nickname Reese's Pieces
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The sponsorship includes an apparel collection. In September 2024, Reese started a podcast called Unapologetically Angel on the Playmaker Network
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with new episodes released every Thursday. However, beneath the glitz and glamour of her athletic career, Reese faced numerous personal challenges
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Reese, born and raised in Maryland, showed an early passion for basketball. She quickly rose to prominence, fueled by her natural talent and determination
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As she advanced, the pressure to perform at the highest level intensified
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leaving her feeling burdened by expectations from teammates, coaches, and fans. Reese also faced the challenge of societal pressures to conform to certain expectations
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of female athletes, often feeling pressured to sexualize herself for attention and sponsorships
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This documentary explores Reese's complex journey, illuminating her struggles with self-sexualization and steroid usage
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In April 2023, a fuller picture of Angel Reese emerged. There's the unapologetic trash talker, the self-proclaimed Bayou Barbie
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and the All-American player who gained national attention with her signature style
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mocking Iowa's Kaitlyn Clark and securing yet another double-double, helping lead LSU to the Women's NCAA Championship
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Reese initially declined the White House visit invitation, but later joined her teammates after rejecting Jill Biden's suggestion that runner-up Iowa should also come
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Reese offered no apology for criticizing the First Lady and did not inflame the situation further
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She's become more mature on and off the court, said Nia Clowden, a first-round WNBA
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pick who played high school basketball with Reese at St. Francis Academy in Baltimore
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She definitely grown a lot Angel Reese rise to stardom began early in life due to her love of basketball Her talent and determination brought her to prominence but with it came increased pressure to perform
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As she became more famous, Reese faced intense scrutiny, with fans, critics, and the media
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dissecting every move she made on and off the court. Death threats, I've been sexualized, I've been threatened, I've been so many things
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and I've stood strong every single time. The demands of celebrity required her to maintain a particular public image and fulfill media
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obligations, placing her personal life under constant observation. This overwhelming attention left Reese struggling to balance her personal life with her career
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resulting in anxiety and feelings of loneliness. Angel Reese was under immense pressure and has been a self-proclaimed bad guy in the WNBA
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embracing the persona with gusto. However, a recent flagrant foul on fellow rookie Kaitlyn Clark placed her under intense
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scrutiny. Reese, who struck Clark's head while attempting to block a shot, found herself at the
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center of a media storm, questioning her comfort with the villain role she had so confidently
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claimed. On ESPN's Around the Horn, sports reporter Frank Isola did not hold back. He
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questioned Reese's true comfort with being seen as a villain, especially in light of the flagrant
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foul incident. She also got a little combative with the question, Isola noted. Well, hang on
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you said you wanted to be the villain. Let's remember, the last time these teams met, Clark
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was on the receiving end of a dead ball flagrant foul, and you stood up and clapped, so reporters
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are obviously going to ask you the question. Reese's post-game reactions only added fuel to
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the fire. She insisted the block was a basketball play, and claimed that Clark was receiving
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favorable treatment from the referees. Her frustration was evident as she told one reporter
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that her press conference clips would be replayed multiple times, reflecting her awareness of the
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growing media frenzy. The obsession with living up to society's expectations of female athletes
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was one of Reese's difficulties. In an attempt to garner attention and sponsorships
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she frequently felt pressured to sexualize herself, including posting suggestive content on social media
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dressing provocatively, and taking part in photo shoots. She might have gained some positive outcomes
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as a result of this strategy, but there were drawbacks as well. Reese battled the internal conflict
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of feeling the need to live up to social beauty standards and wanting to be acknowledged for her athletic prowess
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This pressure to fit in may negatively impact a young woman's self-esteem
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pushing her toward undesirable habits. Ultimately, Reese's quest for fair coverage is complicated by
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her fluctuating public persona. The characters and storylines in sports matter, especially when
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they intertwine with broader cultural contexts. For Reese to be understood and covered fairly
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she needs to navigate her role with consistency, whether she embraces or distances herself from
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the bad guy character. In October 2024, videos surfaced on social media alleging that the Chicago
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Sky fired young WNBA star Angel Reese for using performance-enhancing drugs without any evidence
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to corroborate the claim. The assertion was unfounded. The videos began appearing on Facebook
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and YouTube on October 14th, 2024, with headlines and thumbnails implying that Reese had been taking
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steroids. Fortunately, these stand as false rumors, as Sports Illustrated did confirm that the
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basketball star didn't use steroids and was never actually fired from the Chicago Sky
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Nonetheless, Angel Reese has shown incredible resilience despite the challenges she has faced
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She has grown stronger and more mature learning from her mistakes. By focusing on her athletic prowess and embracing her true self
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she overcame the difficulties of self-sexualization and outright disgusting comments from people online
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Reese has also become an advocate for body positivity and mental health awareness
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using her platform to encourage others to value their individuality and seek help when needed
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Her experience serves as a testament to the importance of self-care and the power of perseverance
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The story of Angel Reese is complex, full of both successes and setbacks
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Her struggles with steroid misuse, self-sexualization, and the demands of fame remind us of the challenges that many young athletes face
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By sharing her story, Reese hopes to inspire others to overcome adversity
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and pursue a more authentic and fulfilling life. If you enjoyed this video, then make sure to check out our next one shown on screen
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Thank you
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