Ten-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony defended Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese ahead of the 2026 WNBA Finals.
In the last episode of his 7 p.m. in Brooklyn show, a Wave original, Anthony argued that some fans focused on Reese’s swaggering personality and ignored her incredible work across the board.
“The antics often overshadow that. But it’s not antics, it’s passion. It’s his passion,” he said (1:43:00). “And when you come from where she comes from, you understand that passion. You understand that chip that you’re playing with…And she shows it, she exudes that. And some people take that in a different way, but that’s her passion. …
“Shout out to Angel. I just wanted to give her her flowers because it’s beautiful and a lot of people won’t give her flowers that way and it’s unfortunate and it’s fucked up. But let her live.”
Reese became a household name during the 2023 NCAA tournament. Not only was she the MVP when LSU won a national title, but she sparked some incredible taunts in the process.
After the triumph, Reese spoke about how he had a goal.
“All year I was criticized for who I was. I don’t fit the narrative,” she said, according to ESPN’s Michael Voepel. “I don’t fit into the box you want me to be in. I’m too hooded. I’m too ghetto. You’ve been telling me that all year. When other people are doing it, and you don’t say anything.
“So this is for girls who look like me. For girls who want to speak out about what they believe in. That’s unapologetically you. And that’s what I did before tonight. It was bigger than me tonight. And Twitter is going to get angry every time.”
The recently crowned Defensive Player of the Year has not changed since his arrival in the WNBA. Now, she adds team success to her prolific rebounding and almost nightly double-doubles.
The Dream swept the Washington Mystics and the New York Liberty to reach the Finals for the first time since 2013. Reese averaged 18.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks during the playoffs.
Getting this far is already an affirmation of the 6’4″ forward’s worth. If she wins a WNBA title, expect raucous celebrations.
Gn sports
