American women’s basketball has just witnessed a big shock when Angel Reese, a young star of Chicago Sky, was announced by the USA Basketball Federation (USA Basketball) for a permanent ban on the national team. This decision was made just hours after Reese spoke controversial in an interview, aiming at the American team coach and her familiar opponent, Caitlin Clark. The incident is stirring up the community of fans and experts, turning Reese into the focus of fierce debates.
In the interview, Reese did not control her emotions when talking about Clark being praised as WNBA’s No. 1 defender. She bluntly criticized the American team coach, allegedly the coaching staff has tasted Clark and ignored the contributions of other talents, including her herself. “They are only interested in the bright name without looking at the reality,” Reese said, at the same time referring to Clark received unfair favor thanks to his college reputation. The sharp words of Reese immediately caused storms on social networks, with many people think that she had exceeded the limit.
The reaction from USA Basketball does not let people wait long. In a brief but tough notice, the Federation announced that Reese would no longer have the opportunity to play for the national team in any tournament in the future. The reason given is “unprofessional behavior and harm the solidarity of the team.” This decision means that the dream of Olympic or Fiba World Cup of Reese has officially closed, a strong blow into her career when she was only 22 years old.
The basketball community immediately divided into two sides. One side criticized Reese, saying that she had harmed herself with impatience and lack of restraint. They argued that public speech targeting coaches and colleagues is unacceptable in a sport that promotes teamwork. In contrast, RESE supporters think that she is just telling the truth and fighting against injustice in the way of evaluating talent. Some fans even alleged USA Basketball to react, turning Reese into a “sacrifice” to protect the image of Clark and the coaching committee.
Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark and the US team coach have not made any comments on the incident. Clark, who has just been honored as the No. 1 defender, seems to be focusing on the new season with Indiana Fever and stays away from this scandal. However, her silence only made the debate more exciting, as the fans of both sides continued to “fight” online.
Angel Reese’s incident is not only a personal scandal but also asks a big question about how young talents are treated in American women’s basketball. Is this the end of Reese’s team career, or will she turn it into a motivation to prove her value at WNBA? Only time can answer, but now, the name Angel Reese has not stopped hot in every newspaper.
