Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese thanked the WNBA and her team for their support as an investigation into verbal abuse directed at the 23-year-old during Saturday’s loss to the Indiana Fever.
Reese was praised on Tuesday by head coach Tyler Marsh for her handling of the incident, who said his team will continue to be there for the second-year star.
“Obviously it’s tough,” Reese said. “But I think I have a great support system. I’m loved by so many people and obviously, in the moment it is hard to hear. But my support system is great.
“I’ve gone through so many different things in the past couple of years in my life, but I think just having the support and this love, and being a part of an organization that really supports me and loves me is something I just couldn’t imagine not being a part of.”
The league launched an investigation into conduct after social media users alleged that the ABC/ESPN broadcast of the game at Indianapolis picked up the incident in question. One video showed a male fan — wearing a red replica Caitlin Clark jersey with matching shorts — sitting courtside and making high-pitched noises while Reese shot a free throw with 4:38 left in the third quarter.
On Sunday, the WNBA released a statement saying that it was “aware of the allegations” and looking into the matter.
“There’s no place for that in our game, there’s no place for that in society,” Fever guard Caitlin Clark said Monday. “We certainly want every person that comes into our arena, whether player, whether fan, to have a great experience.”
Clark added that she did not personally hear any hateful comments from fans.
Marsh said the Sky will stand behind Reese while shifting the focus to returning to the court Thursday to face the New York Liberty.
“I mean, for her, it’s about basketball, so I think that’s where her mind is at,” Marsh said. “And for us we want to be as locked in as possible to our game plan and what we want to do moving forward into Thursday. I mean, Angel’s a winner. Angel’s a competitor. And she wants to be there for her teammates and we’re certainly there for her as well.”
–Field Level Media
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