Hip-hop artist and media mogul Joe Budden has a tough message for WNBA rookie Angel Reese about her image.
Reese once held the WNBA's single-season rebounding record, but after a rookie season in which he was unable to hold the record due to season-ending surgery, Reese has focused on building his brand off the court.
The 22-year-old women's basketball star launched her own podcast, Unapolagetically Angel, before the end of her rookie season and continued to release weekly episodes even after a wrist injury ended the WNBA season early in early September. .
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Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark watch the second half of a game against the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena on June 23, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The podcast has been controversial on numerous occasions, including claims that she sent death threats to fans of rival player Caitlin Clark and created explicit AI images of her and sent them to her family. , which also includes the first episode in which he spoke to fans. In the latest episode, Reese interviewed Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce's ex-girlfriend about their past relationships. The interview sparked a storm of criticism, especially from fans of Kelsey's new girlfriend, Taylor Swift.
Now, Budden advised Reese on an episode of his podcast to cut back on some of the non-basketball promotions he's been following in recent months. “Joe Budden Podcast” via sports illustrated. Budden mentioned Reese's recent stage appearance during Nick Cannon's “Wild 'n Out” tour in Chicago.
“I've seen Angel Reese go wild, but I don't know if I saw her on Wild 'n Out,” Budden said. “Angel Reese doesn’t want her to sit down… she doesn’t want to sit anywhere for a second, and there’s value in that.
“When I say this, it may sound like I'm telling women what to do, but I'm not.”
Inside the impact of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese on men's basketball
September 22, 2024. Inglewood, California, USA. WNBA basketball player Angel Reese attends the Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers game at SoFi Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez Iman Images)
Budden also made a point of comparing Reese's off-court habits to Clark's. But he also clarified that the comparison is not racially based.
“Anyone [Reese] got tells her to show up everywhere. “That's not what the Caitlin Clark people are saying, it's not to be racist…we're just going after a star rookie right now,” he said.
Clark ended up winning the WNBA Rookie of the Year award, winning all but one vote over Reese. The only vote against Clark was Reese. However, the vote drew significant backlash from the women's basketball community, as Clark outperformed the Sky rookie in every statistical category except rebounding.
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August 25, 2024. Chicago, Illinois, USA. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, 5, tries to pass the ball during the first half of a game against the Las Vegas Aces at Wintrust Arena. (Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports)
Unlike Reese, Clark does not have a podcast and has refrained from making any controversial comments during or after his rookie season.
Clark's previous profile off the court has often been spent attending other sporting events with her boyfriend, Conor McCaffrey. Clark and McCaffrey were spotted sitting courtside Monday night at the Indiana Pacers' preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Back in August, the two attended a New York Yankees game and she posed for a photo with star players Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.
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