Category: Angel Reese

WNBA Announces Record TV Ratings, Highest Attendance in 26 Years
11 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

WNBA Announces Record TV Ratings, Highest Attendance in 26 Years

Business is booming in the WNBA, largely thanks to the highly coveted rookie class headlined by the likes of Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink and Angel Reese, among others.

With the first month of the 2024 season officially past, the league announced its TV ratings and attendance details for the month of May. It comes as no surprise that both are up massively compared to last year, with TV ratings reaching all-time highs and attendance at its highest mark in 26 years.

The league reported that approximately 400,000 fans attended WNBA games in May, the most the league has recorded since 1998. More than half of the league's games have resulted in sellouts, an increase of 156% over last season.

In terms of television viewership, the league noted that WNBA games have logged an average viewership of 1.32 million viewers per game across ESPN, ESPN 2, ABC and CBS. That figure is almost three times more than last season.

The season-opening matchup between Clark's Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun recorded an average of 2.12 million viewers on ESPN 2, ESPN+ and Disney+, making it the most-watched WNBA game on any Disney platform in history.

Six days later, the Fever's rematch against the Sun on ESPN drew the largest TV audience for any WNBA game on the network with an average of 1.56 millions viewers.

Furthermore, merchandise sales have skyrocketed. The WNBA reports that the WNBAstore website has received a staggering increase in transactions of more than 756% compared to this time last year.

Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink, Connecticut Sun, Indiana Fever, WNBA
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Angel Reese, Kim Mulkey Shared Sweet Moment on Court After Sky's Win Over Mystics
7 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Angel Reese, Kim Mulkey Shared Sweet Moment on Court After Sky’s Win Over Mystics

Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky improved to 4–5 on the season after defeating the Washington Mystics on Thursday night, and the rookie forward had a special visitor in attendance at Capital One Arena.

LSU Tigers coach Kim Mulkey, who coached Reese for the final two seasons of her college career, took up the opportunity to see her former star player in a game at the next level, and the pair could be seen sharing a heartwarming celebration after the Sky's victory.

It was certainly a homecoming to remember for the Maryland native, as Reese dropped her third career double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, alongside a career-high five steals.

Mulkey was seated courtside for the game, and she and Reese exchanged a big hug after the 79–71 victory. Reese could also be seen celebrating with her family on the court, too.

Reese, who was the No. 7 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, won a national championship with Mulkey at LSU in 2023, defeating Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the title game.

Chicago had lost four of its last five games heading into Thursday's tilt against the Mystics, but they got back on track with the win, thanks to a big outing from their prized rookie, who was making her first appearance since being ejected during the team's clash against the New York Liberty earlier this week.

Angel Reese, Kim Mulkey, LSU Tigers, WNBA
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Lonzo Ball Defends Angel Reese After Her First Career Ejection
5 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Lonzo Ball Defends Angel Reese After Her First Career Ejection

Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese was ejected for the first time in her career Tuesday night during the team's 88–75 loss to the New York Liberty.

Lonzo Ball saw the play unfold from his seat at Wintrust Arena and posted to social media shortly after the ejection to support the 22-year-old rookie.

He even vowed to pay for the $400 fine she will face in the coming days — $200 for each technical foul. Reese appreciated the words of support.

Reese was ejected with 2:31 remaining in the fourth quarter after an exchange with referee Charles Watson that led to two technical fouls. After the game, lead official Maj Forsberg told the Chicago Tribune's Julia Poe that Reese was given her first tech for "disrespectfully addressing" the official and the second tech for waving off the referee.

The $400 fine marks Reese's second financial penalty she has faced this season. Reese was fined $1,000 this past weekend for not speaking to the media after the Sky's 71–70 loss to the Indiana Fever on Saturday.

Reese registered 13 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes before getting ejected, notching her second double-double through eight games to start her WNBA career.

Angel Reese, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Sky, Lonzo Ball
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Angel Reese Ejected From Sky-Liberty Clash After Double Technical Foul
5 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Angel Reese Ejected From Sky-Liberty Clash After Double Technical Foul

Angel Reese was sent back to the Chicago Sky locker room early during the team's 88–75 loss to the New York Liberty on Tuesday at Wintrust Arena.

Reese was ejected from the game with 2:31 remaining in the fourth quarter. She was whistled for a personal foul after trying to grab a rebound. Reese argued the call and was quickly given two technical fouls by WNBA referee Charles Watson and ejected from the game.

The Sky trailed the Liberty 82–71 at the time of Reese's ejection and went on to lose 88–75.

Despite the early exit, Reese tallied the second double-double of her career, scoring 15 points on 3-of-12 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds in 24 minutes.

Reese and the Sky return to the floor Thursday to host the Washington Mystics at Wintrust Arena.

Angel Reese, Chicago Sky, New York Liberty
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Angel Reese Asserts Caitlin Clark Isn't the Only Reason for Sold Out WNBA Games
3 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Angel Reese Asserts Caitlin Clark Isn’t the Only Reason for Sold Out WNBA Games

Many heated WNBA discussions began after Chicago Sky's Chennedy Carter committed a hard foul on Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark during Saturday's game.

Even though this situation has been at the forefront of fan and media conversations, the players haven't said too much about what happened. Carter refused to answer questions about Clark after the game, and Sky rookie Angel Reese even skipped her media session, which earned her a $1,000 fine from the league.

Reese spoke out on Monday, though, in regards to conversations surrounding her being seen as a "villain" in contrast to Clark, the No. 1 WNBA draft pick. No matter how people talk about her, Reese admitted she's just happy that the WNBA is getting more recognition. But, she highlighted how there's more stars than just Clark in the league right now.

"People are talking about women's basketball, you never would think they'd be talking about women's basketball," Reese said. "People are pulling up to games. We got celebrities coming to games, sold out arenas. ... Just looking at that, I'll take that role. I'll take the bad guy role, and I'll continue to take that on and be that for my teammates. I know I'll go down in history. I'll look back in 20 years and be like, the reason why we're watching women's basketball is not just because of one person. It's because of me, too. I want y'all to realize that."

Carter broke her silence regarding Clark on Sunday on Threads, commenting "Beside three-point shooting what does she bring to the table man," under a post.

This controversial conversation all started when Carter issued the foul, which was later changed to a Flagrant 1. Fever coach Christie Sides was not happy with the foul, and she even posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, asking for something to be done about fouls like this. Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon even admitted Carter's foul was "not appropriate."

Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever, SKY, WNBA
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Angel Reese Earns WNBA Fine for Not Speaking to Media After Fever Game
2 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Angel Reese Earns WNBA Fine for Not Speaking to Media After Fever Game

Saturday's Indiana Fever 71–70 win over the Chicago Sky caused quite a stir on and off the court.

Sky's Chennedy Carter fouled Fever star Caitlin Clark hard and was originally issued an away-from-ball foul, but it was later changed to a Flagrant 1 after WNBA review. After this hard foul, Sky rookie Angel Reese was seen applauding for her teammate. This on-court moment sparked some controversy on social media.

Reese did not speak to media after the game, and the league fined her $1,000 for failing to attend media sessions. Additionally, the Sky organization was find $5,000 for not making all players available for media.

Fever coach Christie Sides was not happy with the foul, and she even posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, asking for something to be done about fouls like this.

Clark and Reese's names have been intertwined since the two faced each other in the NCAA tournament final in 2023 when Reese's LSU Tigers beat Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes. The two emphasize constantly how there isn't beef between them, but this moment on Saturday caused a social media frenzy regarding the two star rookies, making fans question what the relationship is between them.

Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever, SKY, WNBA
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Caitlin Clark Heaps Praise on Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso Before Sky-Fever Game
2 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Caitlin Clark Heaps Praise on Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso Before Sky-Fever Game

Over the last two years, the friendly rivalry between Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese has elevated two games—women's college basketball and the WNBA—to never-before-seen heights.

Like all truly great sports rivalries, however, Clark and Reese's rivalry is built on mutual respect. On Saturday morning, Clark demonstrated that by praising both Reese and Sky center Kamilla Cardoso before the Fever played Chicago in the afternoon.

"The thing about (Reese), she's been so dominant at what she does ever since we played in high school," Clark said via Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. "She's always had a knack for being able to rebound the ball and that's just translated immediately to the WNBA."

Reese entered Saturday averaging 8.2 rebounds per game, ninth in the WNBA.

"Kamilla caused us a lot of problems in the national championship," Clark said of Cardoso. "Kamilla is just scratching the surface of her potential... it's been a lot of fun to watch those two kind of evolve over their college careers."

Each of the trio had a role to play in Indiana's eventual 71–70 win. Clark scored 11 points, pulled down eight rebounds and gave out eight assists; Reese scored eight points and pulled down 13 rebounds; Cardoso scored 11 points and had six rebounds.

Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, Chicago Sky, Indiana Fever, Kamilla Cardoso, WNBA
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Angel Reese Strutting Through Locker Room Before Sky-Fever Game Became an Instant Icon
1 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Angel Reese Strutting Through Locker Room Before Sky-Fever Game Became an Instant Icon

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese made her case for being the most relatable player in the WNBA after dazzling in her pregame walkout ahead of the Sky’s matchup against the Indiana Fever on Saturday.

Reese, set to face off against collegiate rival Caitlin Clark for the first time in the big leagues, dropped a hilarious one-liner as she enlisted the help of a cameraperson while posing for pregame pictures.

“Can somebody hold my phone?” Reese asked.

Later on, Reese candidly tells someone filming her, “Let me get these shoes off. A baddie can’t stay too bad too long.”

Reese, the No. 7 pick in the WNBA draft, has averaged 11.0 points and 8.2 rebounds in six games this season, shooting 37.3% from the field. The former LSU standout lost to Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes, 94–87, in an Elite Eight tilt in this year’s NCAA tournament.

Chicago is off to a 3–3 start this season with Kamilla Cardoso set to make her WNBA debut on Saturday. The Sky are currently tied 31-31 with the Fever in the second quarter.

Angel Reese, Chicago Sky, Indiana Fever
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Here Are All the Athletes Who Went to the Met Gala
7 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Here Are All the Athletes Who Went to the Met Gala

Fashion's biggest night had some of the sports world's biggest stars in attendance on Monday night at the Met Gala.

Sports standouts ranging from the NFL to tennis to Formula 1 walked the carpet in their custom outfits all interpreting the theme "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" in different ways.

Tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams returned to the Met Gala. At last year's Met, Serena famously announced her second pregnancy with husband Alexis Ohanian during a carpet interview.

Take a look at all the athletes that went to the 2024 Met Gala.

Serena Williams

The 23-time Grand Slam champion wore a custom gold Balenciaga dress that many deemed a "going for gold" theme to commemorate her legendary tennis career.

Venus Williams

The five-time Wimbledon champion also wore a shining dress, but with hers more on the silver side. Her custom Marc Jacobs dress was reflective like a disco ball, but with a sheer first layer.

Lewis Hamilton

The Formula 1 driver, who's known for his fashion sense, wore a significant outfit on the carpet. His custom Burberry suit was made in honor of one of Britain's first Black gardners, John Ystumllyn. An excerpt from Alex Wharton's 'The Gardener' poem was embroidered into the inside of his suit jacket.

Angel Reese

The Chicago Sky rookie became the first WNBA rookie to walk the Met Gala carpet on Monday, and it was fitting that she flew from practice that morning to make it to the New York City event at night. It was also Reese's 22nd birthday as she walked in her 16Arlington by Marco Capaldo seafoam colored dress.

Ben Simmons

The Brooklyn Nets guard wowed fans with his Thom Browne suit. The black sparkly suit with a plaid design at the top wasn't complete without the briefcase with a giant clock on it. This piece fit more into the "Garden of Time" theme.

Nelly Korda

LPGA star Korda, who won five consecutive tournaments already this year, took a break ahead of this month's U.S. Women's Open to attend the Met Gala in an Oscar de la Renta gown. Her dress included red flowers with green leaves.

Stefon Diggs

The new Houston Texans running back attended his second consecutive Met Gala, this time wearing a custom dark blue H&M sparkly suit.

Odell Beckham Jr.

The new Miami Dolphins receiver wore an embroidered suit jacket with flowers and birds on it from Bode. His pants continued some of the design from the jacket as well.

Dwyane Wade

The retired NBA star walked the carpet with his wife, actress Gabrielle Union. Wade wore a lilac colored Versace suit completed with a plain white T-shirt and black shoes, while Union gave off mermaid vibes with her Michael Kors dress.

Angel Reese, Formula 1, Golf, Lewis Hamilton, NBA, Nelly Korda, NFL, Odell Beckham Jr., Stefon Diggs, Tennis, WNBA
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Fans Loved Angel Reese's Met Gala Look
7 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Fans Loved Angel Reese’s Met Gala Look

It's been quite a stretch for Angel Reese. She helped take LSU to the Elite Eight in her final collegiate season, and was picked seventh in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky. To top it all off, Reese attended Monday night's Met Gala in a stunning outfit, and everybody was in awe.

The fact that Reese managed to attend at all is pretty remarkable, given she practiced in Chicago earlier that day. The Sky's season debut is on May 15. Practicing and then flying out to New York City and undergo what must've been hours of prep for the red carpet walk isn't easy and certainly is not usually something rookies can do. But Reese is not just any rookie.

Even scattered amongst the biggest stars of all, Reese shined on Monday night in a 16 Arlington dress.

Everyone loved it.

As if there was any remaining doubt that Reese is going to push the limits of what's possible whenever she can, the rookie forward was back in Chicago on Tuesday morning to prepare for the Sky's next preseason matchup against the New York Liberty. She probably wishes the game was at Barclays Center, but this makes for a better story.

A whirlwind of a 24 hours for Reese after a whirlwind of a month.

Angel Reese, Chicago Sky, WNBA
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