WNBA rookie sensation Angel Reese was hazed and trolled throughout the 2024 season due to her abnormally low shooting percentage for the Chicago Sky.
After months of appearing unbothered and unflappable amid the wave of criticisms, the “Bayou Barbie” responded to her critics.
Reese, 22, addressed a fan who mocked her well-known shooting woes around the basketball hoop. Despite doing most of her work underneath the basket, Reese managed to register only a 39% shooting rate.
After the fan, identified as Adam, highlighted her struggle to make layups “on the first try,” Reese fired back: “Do you realize I got drafted 7th in my class while ‘missing layups’ as a ROOKIE shooting 39% on the year & was STILL an all-star and that was the worst you’ll ever see me??? or you just laid up with your dog at home hating Adam??”
Reese’s difficulties around the rim have to be juxtaposed with the fact that she set seven team and league records in her inaugural season in the WNBA. She proved to be as good a rebounder as there is in the history of the game.
Reese is a record-breaking rookie
The Baltimore-born player set league records in the following categories:
- Most consecutive double-doubles by a WNBA player (15)
- Most double-doubles by a rookie (26)
- Most single-season rebounds by a WNBA player (446)
- The highest rebounding average in WNBA history at 13.1, breaking the record once held by the legendary Sylvia Fowles at 11.9
- Most offensive rebounds in a single season by a WNBA player (172)
- Most games with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in WNBA history
- Most offensive rebounds in team history and league history
Many fans take delight in mocking Reese’s shooting woes
Most of her critics, however, overlooked Reese’s superlative work on the glass to focus on her occasional lack of coordination and awkward shooting form that resulted in a below-average shooting percentage.
Reese has a lot of supporters who encourage her
“Of course it’s a white guy…” wrote one user on X, lamenting the fact that most of Reese’s critics and detractors are of a specific demographic.
“Anytime ppl got time to hate that’s because they got too much time on their hands and their life is stuck at 22% below average,” said a second supporter, while a third added, “Keep grinding Reese 🔥.”
A fourth and fifth fan wrote “The Angel Reese hate needs to stop,” and “You’ll never see a hater doing better than you…keep being great.”
