Angel Reese put up some of her strongest numbers of the season in Tuesday night’s game, despite the Chicago Sky falling to the defending champions New York Liberty. After the game, when reporters asked if her impressive performance could help her fend off harsh criticism on social media, a veteran teammate came to her fierce defense.
Ariel Atkins, a 28-year-old veteran, couldn’t sit still as Angel Reese was constantly questioned about her off-court issues instead of focusing on her playing ability. Atkins took the opportunity to call on the entire WNBA community to give Reese the respect she deserves as a talented player.
When Angel Reese shared that she didn’t care too much about the toxic criticism online because she was enjoying the genuine love in real life, Ariel Atkins decided to interject before the next question was asked. She expressed her deep frustration at seeing Angel Reese constantly being questioned about issues unrelated to basketball and her ability to compete.
“Can I just say one thing?” Atkins said in a serious tone, pointing to Angel Reese sitting to her left. “This is a young girl who is only 23 years old, and with the amount of toxicity she has to endure on a daily basis, she still shows up and plays her best.”
Ariel Atkins continued to express her thoughts in a straightforward and firm manner: “Whatever questions you have about our team or about basketball, we are absolutely ready to answer and appreciate that interest. But all the other nonsense, things that have nothing to do with basketball, please stop because it is completely inappropriate in this context. This is a 23-year-old young lady who is handling herself with great grace and admiration, and the crown she is wearing is really heavy.” Ariel Atkins, 28 years old and with a wealth of experience in the professional basketball world, was recruited by the Chicago Sky last February to bring a defensive-oriented leadership style to Chicago’s fledgling squad. The two-time All-Star helped the Washington Mystics win the prestigious WNBA championship in 2019, proving her ability and experience. “Angel Reese needs to have a strong wall of protection because without that, people will constantly try to tear her down and sabotage her,” Atkins continued in a determined and protective tone. “It’s not just because of her beautiful appearance, but also because of the way she carries herself and carries herself in a confident, unpretentious way. She’s not the type of person who goes around acting like, ‘Oh, I’m this or that.'”
“Not at all,” Atkins emphasized forcefully, “she knows who she is, she knows her worth, and we absolutely will not let anyone bring her down because of those good qualities. So any other questions you guys want to ask, I really hope they’re just about basketball, maybe questions about the score or the game strategy, but please remember that this young lady’s crown is really heavy and deserves respect.”
As soon as Ariel Atkins finished her emotional and meaningful speech, Angel Reese showed her gratitude and appreciation by thanking her sincerely and putting her arm around Atkins’ shoulder in a friendly gesture as she continued to answer other questions in a more relaxed manner.
Although Angel Reese recorded her fourth double-double of the season on Tuesday night with an impressive 17 points and 11 rebounds, while also maintaining a shooting percentage of 61.5 percent from the field, the Chicago Sky’s 19-point loss marked their fifth double-digit loss of the young season. Earlier on Saturday, Chicago suffered a crushing 79-52 loss to the Indiana Fever – without Caitlin Clark – in a rematch of the season opener, which the Indiana Fever also won convincingly, 93-58.
After a powerful and meaningful show of support from Ariel Atkins on Tuesday night, Angel Reese shared that the team needed to be patient and united to get through this difficult time of the season together. “I’m lucky to have the opportunity to be around the most incredible women every day, and they truly love and care for each other,” she shared with a warm smile. “We truly love each other as a family, and that gives us great strength.” After both Ariel Atkins and Angel Reese were present and answered questions, coach