{"id":57693,"date":"2025-08-04T12:56:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T12:56:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/57693\/"},"modified":"2025-08-04T12:56:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T12:56:10","slug":"angel-reese-has-strong-pedestal-message-for-haters-despite-her-absence-hurting-chicago-sky","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/57693\/","title":{"rendered":"Angel Reese Has Strong \u2018Pedestal\u2019 Message for Haters Despite Her Absence Hurting Chicago Sky"},"content":{"rendered":"

The WNBA season is proving to be a brutal test of wills. Yet for Angel Reese, the fight extends beyond the court. Even as the Chicago Sky battles a challenging stretch amplified by her lingering back injury, their charismatic star remains as defiant and unapologetic as ever. There\u2019s no doubt that her absence hurts the team\u2019s on-court performance, but it also highlights the unwavering spirit of a player who refuses to be silenced, delivering a powerful message: no amount of outside noise can knock Reese off her pedestal she\u2019s fiercely built.<\/p>\n

And that, along with earning her millions of passionate fans, has at times drawn the ire of critics. She\u2019s famously clapped back at social media trolls, championed athlete empowerment, and never shied away from bold critiques, whether on NIL deals, league officiating, or the broader discourse surrounding women\u2019s basketball. This isn\u2019t just talk from Reese; it\u2019s a testament to her proven track record of converting public scrutiny into genuine influence. So, when the \u2018Bayou Barbie\u2019 recently delivered a powerful message about owning one\u2019s narrative in a video clip posted by Carita Parks on X, her words resonated with familiar force.<\/p>\n

Asked what advice she\u2019d give to young athletes, Angel declared, her eyes blazing with conviction, \u201cYeah, just be who you are, don\u2019t care what anybody else have to say. The real people know who you are. I have a great family, great friends, great support system, coaches, teammates, and the real know who I am, and they continue to believe in me. You can\u2019t knock me off my pedestal.\u201c<\/p>\n

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Her message didn\u2019t stop there. Angel Reese further elaborated on the unique reality of her public persona: \u201cBrands are going to come, if you like it or not. The hate, the love \u2014 it pays, regardless, and you can see that. And I just continue just to be me and know that young girls look up to me. And so I just wake up every day and stand in my truth.\u201d\u00a0This was visible as far back as her NCAA days. Reese\u2019s meteoric rise in NIL valuation, particularly after leading LSU to a national championship,\u00a0reportedly rose from $371,000 to $1.3 million after the championship win, according to On3Sports.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Clearly, her unapologetic self-expression has indeed become a powerful asset.<\/p>\n

I asked Angel Reese what advice she has for young athletes on flipping the narrative and building a brand: \u201cBe unapologetically yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t knock me off my pedestal. Brands are going to come if you like it or not. The hate, the love\u2026 it pays\u2014and you can see that.\u201d\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/FzMKxuHQFm<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Carita Parks (@CaritaCParks) August 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

This all comes just days after Angel Reese found herself at the center of yet another round of online trolling. On July 29, a user on X shared a meme falsely claiming Reese said, \u201cY\u2019all make $1400 a week, I make $1400 in seven days.\u201d The post exploded with over 10 million views, but not because it was true. Without a shred of proof, people flooded the comments\u2014some mocking her, others calling the quote insecure and tone-deaf.<\/p>\n

Reese didn\u2019t stay quiet. She jumped on TikTok to shut it down, lip-syncing to the audio, \u201cI don\u2019t know if your brain is all scrambled from like all the M\u2014- you take, but I never said that,\u201d while adding text that read, \u201cY\u2019all believing I said something about 7 days in a week bs.\u201d Her caption? Straight to the point: \u201cY\u2019all literally just believe s\u2014 with no proof. Like, where did that even come from? I know I pay y\u2019all bills, but d\u2014, LMFAO.\u201d<\/p>\n

But even with missing a handful of recent games, Angel Reese hasn\u2019t lost an ounce of confidence\u2014she\u2019s still standing tall, unbothered, and owning her narrative. Yet, away from the personal triumphs of the 23-year-old\u2019s unwavering spirit, the cold reality on the court tells a starkly different story for the Chicago Sky.<\/p>\n

Reese\u2019s absence, Sky\u2019s collapse: A season on the brink<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve been watching the Chicago Sky this season, you already know\u2014it\u2019s been tough out there. And at the heart of this rough stretch is Angel Reese, who\u2019s been doing everything she can to keep this team alive. But with that same grit comes wear and tear, and right now, it\u2019s her back that\u2019s keeping her off the floor. She\u2019s missed four of the Sky\u2019s last five games and five of their last seven, dealing with what the team is calling \u201cprecautionary\u201d back tightness. And when she does play, like she did against the Mystics last Tuesday, it\u2019s clear she\u2019s pushing through pain. \u201cIt was ugly, ugly for me,\u201d Reese admitted. \u201cBut I tried to push through as much as I could for my teammates because I know they need me out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

And she\u2019s absolutely right. The Sky desperately needs her, the numbers telling a lot more story than anything else. Chicago has slumped to a dismal 1-9 all-time without Reese on the floor, including an alarming 0-3 in games she\u2019s missed this season alone. The loss to the Valkyries on Friday was their seventh straight and dropped them to 7-20\u2014giving them the second-worst record in the league and just a 0.1% shot at the playoffs, per ESPN\u2019s BPI.<\/p>\n

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Their latest outing, a crushing defeat against the Phoenix Mercury, underscored the void. Though the Sky briefly held a 19-13 lead, the Mercury stormed back, shooting an astonishing 80% in the second quarter and dominating the middle quarters with a 56-32 run. Even valiant efforts from Kahleah Copper (25 points), Alyssa Thomas (triple-double), and a double-double from Kamilla Cardoso, paired with 15 boards from Elizabeth Williams, couldn\u2019t prevent their eighth straight loss.<\/p>\n

Reese, a two-time All-Star, leads the team in virtually every major statistical category: points (14.2), rebounds (12.6), assists (3.7), and even steals (1.5) per game. There\u2019s simply no replacing that kind of production. She\u2019s recorded 17 double-doubles this season, including an 11-game streak that\u2019s the longest active run in the WNBA. In fact, her return against the Mystics wasn\u2019t just gutsy\u2014it was dominant: 22 points and 13 boards, right in front of friends and family near her hometown of Baltimore. But then? She was ruled out again just days later, missing Friday\u2019s loss to Golden State. Her coach, Tyler Marsh, explained: \u201cHer back tightened up after the Washington game. So again more precautionary stuff there. So she\u2019ll be out tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

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via Imago<\/p>\n

But the numbers don\u2019t lie. They\u2019re now 1-9 all-time without her, and 0-3 in games she\u2019s missed this season alone. With only 17 games left, and no clear timeline for Reese\u2019s return, the Sky are staring down another year of frustration. As the viral stat making the rounds says loud and clear: Reese isn\u2019t just part of the team\u2014in many ways, she is the team. Her fighting spirit shines bright, but the harsh truth is, the Sky needs her fire and presence on the court more than ever.<\/p>\n

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