The Chicago Sky suffered another loss Tuesday night, though this one is to be expected — the team met the Liberty at Barclays, and the Sky are not the only team that has failed to challenge New York's finest (who currently hold a 9-0 record). Angel Reese put in a solid performance with 17 points and 11 rebounds, and she and Ariel Atkins met reporters for the postgame conference following the match.
Reese, who faces a lot of criticism on social media, was asked a question about how she handles that negativity with Atkins jumped in and demanded better treatment and questions.
"This is a 23-year-old kid. And the amount of crap that she gets on a day-to-day, she still shows up," Atkins said. "So, whatever questions y’all got about our team, basketball-wise, we appreciate it. But all the other nonsense, like, it’s irrelevant. We’re here to play basketball and do what we do."
Ariel Atkins full quote on Angel Reese. This came after Angel was asked a question about how she handles negativity online. pic.twitter.com/1zcdAa3bL0
— Karli Bell (@KarliBell33) June 11, 2025
Atkins noted the team is struggling right now, and emphasized that questions that aren't about basketball aren't appropriate. "This is a 23-year-old kid who handles herself with grace. Her crown is heavy. So whatever else, like, y’all want to come at her for the way that she acts, she has to build the wall. She has to have the wall. Because if she doesn’t, people will break her down."
Atkins raised an excellent point about how the media interacts with athletes and vice versa. At the end of the day, both she and Reese were seated at a press conference following a basketball game, and it's reasonable to expect that they will be asked questions about what happened on the floor. Critique and genuine questions about the game are welcome, but Reese in particular has answered the same questions about off-court negativity and social media for her entire professional career. And as much as she's been involved in some of the on-court dramatics that have transpired since she was drafted, Reese has always been happy to answer questions and has been very understanding of the nature of the dynamic between the press and athletes.
Ariel Atkins did exactly what she's supposed to do
As a WNBA vet, Atkins did exactly what she's supposed to do. Reese is young and navigating the WNBA in a way that very few athletes before her have, and she needs as much support as she can get from everyone invested in her growth. Atkins, who was drafted in 2018 by the Mystics as the No. 7 overall pick, has a few years of experience on Reese and moments like this will help the younger hooper grow and set boundaries for herself.