WNBA standout Angel Reese reflected this week on an emotional courtside moment, saying it came after she endured hostile treatment from fans in Indianapolis.
Reese, 24, who is in her debut season with the Atlanta Dream, was filmed singing and gently moving to “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” widely known as the Black national anthem, ahead of Thursday’s matchup against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.
After Friday’s federal Juneteenth holiday, Reese and the Dream returned to the court against the Fever in Atlanta. There, she was asked about the pregame scene, the meaning of the song and why it resonated with her as an African-American woman.
“It was just one in the moment of where I was, and how it felt, and how it hit, and the things that I’ve had to experience the last couple years, and they haven’t always been great,” Reese said Saturday.
“It’s not supposed to be easy, but I am very, very grateful for this opportunity to be a Black woman, it’s a privilege… being where I was, hearing the loud boos when I was in the arena, and then when I heard ‘Lift Every Voice,’ it just made me feel like, this is for the ones that walked for me.”
Reese went on to speak about the broader significance of the anthem, which traces back to James Weldon Johnson’s 1900 poem and is set to music composed by his brother, John Rosamond Johnson.
“Those young girls, those young boys out there, when they see a Black girl being able to run up and down the court and just have this life and have this experience, I think it’s really important. Representation is important, for me to use my voice, for me to use my platform, I’ll never stay silent for things I believe in,” Reese said.
In her first season with the Atlanta Dream, Reese was captured singing and swaying to the Black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” before Thursday’s game
It’s been a busy week for Reese, who recorded her 1,000th rebound in just her 79th career game to set a WNBA record.
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Meanwhile, her new team beat the Fever by seven points in Indiana on Thursday and 17 two nights later in Atlanta as she recorded 39 points and 19 rebounds over the back-to-back victories.
Beyond the wins, she also took the opportunity to get under the skin of her long-time rival, Clark, whose Iowa Hawkeyes famously fell to Reese’s LSU Tigers in the 2023 national championship.
During the first quarter of Saturday’s game, which the Dream won 113-96, Clark brought the ball up the floor before being fouled near the top of the key by Reese’s teammate Jordin Canada.
Reese then swiped at the ball in Clark’s hands after the whistle, resulting in some brief trash talk between the two.
Clark drives to the basket against Reese during Saturday’s game in Atlanta
Days earlier, Reese mocked Clark by imitating her flailing following a controversial foul.
Although the two have remained respectful towards each other in public, Clark’s fans have crossed the line with Reese, she claimed during her tenure with the Chicago Sky.
‘I think it’s really just the fans, her fans, the Iowa fans, now the Indiana fans, that are really just, they ride for her, and I respect that, respectfully. But sometimes it’s very disrespectful. I think there’s a lot of racism when it comes to it,’ Reese said during a 2024 podcast.
This season, Reese’s Dream are tied for second in the WNBA at 11-4, while Clark’s Fever are in seventh at 9-7.
