Angel Reese laced up her “Angel Reese 1s” with Team USA for the second time last night, March 11. Reese is one of six WNBA players making their senior national team debut at the FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Angel Reese delivered an impressive performance, racking up 10 points and 13 rebounds to live up to her “Double Double Barbie” nickname. However, one specific play went viral after being reshared by major outlets like Bleacher Report, sparking an impassioned defense from the Chicago Sky star’s fanbase.
Angel Reese Shows Off Her Skills During Team USA FIBA Matchup Versus Puerto Rico
According to USA Today, Reese finished last night’s game with a 10-point, 13-rebound performance, joining Kiki Iriafen and Paige Bueckers as the only three rookies on Team USA to record a double-digit game.
Adding to her points and rebounds, Reese also showed up for Team USA in other ways, recording two assists, one steal, and one block, helping the senior national squad secure a 91-48 victory.
Despite the victory, Team USA didn’t play its best, a performance WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark has described as “clunky.” The first two quarters were a bit rough, featuring many turnovers and early fouls.
One of Reese’s shot attempts was also blocked in the second quarter by Imani McGee-Stafford, which received a roar from the crowd and much attention on social media.
Bleacher Report Shares Video Of Angel Reese Getting Blocked, Which Seemingly Irritates Some Fans
No grace is ever given to Angel Reese in any aspect and it makes me really sad. She has to do everything perfectly in order to not get backlash.
— LANI ❦ (@___lovelanii) March 13, 2026
“ANGEL REESE BLOCKED,” BR captioned the post, which currently has 809,000 views on X and 21,800 likes on Instagram.
However, other social media users blasted the publication for allegedly engaging in engagement baiting by sharing a lowlight of Reese.
Another reason users were incensed by BR’s post is that they failed to share any other post about Reese’s first Team USA double-double or show any of her other highlights from the March 11 game.
On Instagram, one user commented, “The caption should say, ‘Good Block,’ because there’s nothing wild about this.”
Someone else wrote, “D-mn, [Bleacher Report] hating on Team USA is crazy, but we know why.”
A third user wrote, “Nothing but haters for posting this. Y’all didn’t post a certain someone’s 3 TOs, though.”
Angel Reese Fans Rush To Her Defense, Praise The WNBA Star For Her Accomplishments
Angel Reese had a good game but yet all i see is Hate HATE Hate hate. why folks just can’t support the Fucking team instead of putting 1 player against the other.🤦🏽♂️
— ShowTyme Always on Point (@ShowTymeMedia) March 13, 2026
The pushback didn’t end there. Other social media users rushed to Reese’s defense and blasted certain media outlets for allegedly promoting a false narrative.
“People love to try and hate on Angel, but she will keep winning,” someone wrote, while another said, “Angel is the ONLY player on BOTH teams that finished the game with a double double.” They added, “Spent the game cleaning up others’ MISSED shots, but this is what y’all post? SO damn corny and lame at this point.”
On X, the conversation was much of the same, as one user said, “Y’all just be bullying Angel [at this point]. Y’all only show lowlights of her.”
“Angel Reese had a good game, but yet all I see is hate, hate, hate, hate,” a second X user wrote, while a third shared, “It gets to a point, like are we rooting for Team USA or only individual achievements? Yes, it’s nice when your fave does great things, but I’m still gonna root for the group as a whole.”
Reese Is Fulfilling A Lifelong Dream Playing For Team USA
USA Basketball
Reese previously opened up about how much playing for Team USA means to her, according to The Blast.
“… being able to know this is a lifelong dream for me,” she said, revealing that she has further aspirations to join the Olympic roster in 2028.
“I mean, that’s a big goal for me. So just continuing to take these small steps and continue to learn and grow,” she explained.
Reese Is Leaning On The Team USA Vets To Help Her Learn The Ropes
USA Basketball
Reese further discussed the role she hopes to play on Team USA, adding that being a team player is her primary focus.
“Everybody’s not going to be able to score 20. So just being able to come in here and find my niche of what I can do specifically that I can impact ways for everyone else that I know that I can always bring to the table is going to be a big part of my life,” she said.
In a separate interview, Reese opened up about what it means to play alongside such elite players, including Kahleah Copper, Jackie Young, and Chelsea Gray.
“There are a lot of new faces here, but we can rely a lot on our vets,” she shared, “because they have been in the moment and they have this experience.”