If you thought Caitlin Clark was the only WNBA rookie to be “treated harshly” by veteran players, think again.
During a loss to the Connecticut Sun on Saturday night, Chicago Sky rookie star Angel Reese was grabbed by the neck and thrown to the ground in a scene reminiscent of a Spirit Airlines flight rather than a basketball court.
Alyssa Thomas was ejected for a hard foul on Angel Reese.
(via @sports Center)
pic.twitter.com/ekBXTWgEim— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 26, 2024
The player who committed the offense, Alyssa Thomas, received a Flagrant 2 rating, which carries an automatic ejection.
Reese was unfazed by the incident and made it seem as though this was the kind of treatment he expected.
“It’s not just because I’m a rookie. I’m a player. I’m a basketball player. They don’t care that I’m a rookie,” Reese told The Athletic. “I mean, I want them to challenge me every day. I want everybody to challenge me.”
Chicago Sky No. 5 Angel Reese drives to the basket during a game against the Connecticut Sun at Wintrust Arena on May 25, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)
Reese continued, “They shouldn’t be easy on me. I hope everybody knows that. They shouldn’t be easy on me and they shouldn’t give in to me just because I’m Angel Reese or because I’m the new kid on the block. Like, AT, thank you for messaging me that I stood up and kept going and kept pushing. Me and AT were good friends back in Maryland so I know there’s no grudges. I’m thankful that she challenges me today and every day.”
Caitlin Clark suffered a similarly brutal hit on Wednesday, but unlike Angel Reese’s case, the player who fouled Clark was not sent off or even penalized.
Caitlin Clark gets assaulted without a phone in again pic.twitter.com/kyfGGiu7q7
— LeLakers 2️⃣3️⃣👑 (@LeLaker) May 23, 2024
Reese and Clark are the WNBA’s two biggest stars by far, and if the league is happy about the sudden interest in the sport, it might be wise to tell its veteran players to stop beating them up so badly.
