After a heated ejection from the most recent Sky-Liberty game, Angel Reese was again the subject of controversy. Many fans have called the incident a “weak” call, and it has sparked a heated debate in which some claim the officials are unfairly trying to paint Reese as the “angry Black girl.”
During Tuesday’s 88-75 loss to the visiting New York Liberty, rookie forward Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky was ejected after receiving two technical fouls for arguing with an official during the fourth quarter.
With 2:31 remaining, Reese was called for her fifth personal foul.
In the game’s final minutes, a heated argument escalated between Reese and the referee, Charles Watson, over a foul call, leading to a technical foul. In a moment of frustration, Reese waved her hand briskly, resulting in another technical foul. This unexpected turn of events led to her immediate ejection, leaving both players and spectators in shock.
It happened so quickly that Betnijah Laney-Hamilton of New York was initially reported to have been ejected on the NBATV broadcast. However, Reese was the one who was thrown out.
“I tried to get an explanation. I did not. I don’t know what happened at this moment,” Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon said at the postgame news conference.
Social media went wild immediately, with many fans raising concerns about whether race affected the officiating and how severe the technicals were.
Many drew attention to how frequently Reese is singled out for attention due to her intensity, raising the possibility that underlying gender and racial biases are at play.
“They want to make her the angry black girl so bad so they can make Caitlin the victim as usual .. this narrative is tired af,” a fan pointed out.
Another wrote, “They have to make someone the bad guy for Caitlin to be the “good guy” to create a narrative.”
Another person also said, “Looks like the WNBA is now intentionally trying to paint her as a problem….ijs.”
Reese’s Chicago counterpart, Bulls guard Lonzo Ball, also took to social media to call the ejection “weak” and offer to cover any fines she might receive.
Reese did not attend the press conference despite finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds in just 24 minutes.
