Angel Reese said she has no problem with being the WNBA’s villain, and she apparently views the media in the same light.
Reese, the Sky’s star rookie, accused the media of twisting her words in a short and seemingly contentious interview with the Chicago Sun-Times.
‘‘I know how y’all like to twist my words, so I’m just keeping it short and sweet,’’ Reese told columnist Steve Greenberg when asked about her short answers that created an awkward interview.
‘‘I can’t trust any of y’all. So I’m just letting you know — short and sweet.’’
Greenberg explained that he set out to interview Reese about her new job and all that entails for a 22-year-old instead of focusing on the on-the-court storylines.
Reese is a polarizing figure in the basketball community, especially since she’s — fairly or unfairly — viewed as the top rival to the uber-popular Caitlin Clark.
But Reese wanted nothing to do with the interview and she made it clear.
“It went so well, the word ‘catastrophe’ quickly came to mind,” Greenberg wrote. “A few questions in, it was clear that one- or two-word answers were the order of the day. And that something was wrong, even though Reese essentially had ignored a couple of questions by saying, dismissively, ‘I’m good.’”
The Sky are known for being an unhelpful organization for media and a staffer attempted to end the interview, with Reese saying “we’re good” before the staffer cut it short.
Reese and the Sky were both fined earlier this year after the former LSU national champion skipped her media obligations following a one-point loss to Clark and the Fever.
While Reese did not offer any reasons for why she distrusts the media, it could stem from recent comments she made involving Clark.
Reese said the growth of women’s basketball is “not just one person” while including herself as a reason why, and after the Sky’s most recent loss to the Fever she indicated Clark receives a “special whistle.”
Those comments both blew up and added more fuel to the Reese vs. Clark fire.
Regardless of the reason, Greenberg noted how Reese is dealing with far more than the usual rookie, which could be weighing on her in ways the world does not see.
Sky head coach Teresa Witherspoon hinted at the entirety of it all straining Reese.
‘‘I think sometimes we fail to realize what the athlete might think,’’ Witherspoon said, per Greenberg. ‘‘What is she thinking? How does she feel? I think sometimes we just fail to realize that because it’s almost like every time she speaks, there’s something wrong with what she says. There’s something wrong with what she does. That’s what it seems like. But what we do here as a team, that’s really all that matters.’’
Witherspoon added: ‘‘She’s fine. She’s going to be fine. I mean, she’s fine.’’
Reese is averaging 12.1 points and 10.2 rebounds for the 4-9 Sky.