Chicago Sky star Angel Reese has been the subject of backlash this week, mainly due to her controversial take on the issue of WNBA player salary that did not sit well with a lot of fans. However, amidst the online backlash, Reese found an ally in a former women’s soccer star.
In one of the most recent episodes of her podcast program “Sports Are Fun,” former women’s soccer star Kelley O’Hara talked about Angel Reese’s comments and her honest thoughts on the issue.
“They’re (WNBA players) in a very exciting time and they do have so much leverage, and they should use it,” O’Hara said. “It’s just, I’ve been in many (strikes) so I’m like ‘I want them to use it (their leverage) properly’. I hope they get every penny they asked for.”
O’hara also added her thoughts about players who she described as “the most unfortunate” ones, who she believes should be the priority of discussions when it comes to a Collective Bargaining Agreement and threats of a strike or lockout.
“So you have to think of the least fortunate of player, right? So it’s like when we were going through negotiations it’s like ‘yeah we can strike but if we do, we have to understand the consequences that come with it, which is we will not get paid until this is resolved’.”
“And there’s ways around that (not getting paid) and you can, you know, create a fund within your Players Association, that sort of thing. So it’s just, I think that the very basic thing (about) like negotiations and a strike or a lockout is like ‘do it’ (but) there’s many things to consider before you do it.”
The discussion also led to the idea of players like Angel Reese who have been lucky enough to get endorsement deals and earn money outside of their NBA salary, which is not a privilege that all players get to have.
Angel Reese Clarifies Her “Sitting Out” Statement
Following her bold statement where she said that some players may end up sitting out games if they are not given the deal they want, Angel Reese took to her X account to address online backlash over her statement, which she believes has been misrepresented and misunderstood online.
“I love how y’all have selective hearing,” Reese said in her post. “I said ‘I’m hearing if they don’t give us what we want, we sitting out’ and that’s the truth. I never said anything about the NBA. We are prepared to stay at the negotiating table for as long as it takes.”
I love how yall have selective hearing. I said “I’m hearing if they don’t give us what we want, we sitting out” and that’s the truth. I never said anything about the NBA. We are prepared to stay at the negotiating table for as long as it takes. Here’s the link to my podcast so… https://t.co/UQ7aHtUIXi
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) March 8, 2025
Angel Reese is currently with the Rose BC on Unrivaled as their team advanced through the playoffs.
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