This week, two separate quotes from Angel Reese went viral on social media. Neither of them were real.
The first framed Reese as claiming that WNBA athletes “should be getting paid like NBA players.” It appeared to take hold from a Facebook account called Elite Gridiron and was later picked up by other meme accounts like NBA Centel on X.
While Reese has discussed WNBA salaries in press conferences and on her podcast, these accounts did not cite where this supposed Reese quote came from. That, Reese wrote on X, is because it was fabricated.
The second quote came from a recent podcast conversation with fellow Unrivaled athlete and Dallas Wings star DiJonnai Carrington. In the episode, Reese referenced rumblings from among WNBA players that a strike could come if the league does not meet the players’ salary demands.
“I need to get in those meetings because I’m hearing like, yeah, ‘if y’all don’t give us what we want, we’re sitting out,” Reese said.
On social media, the beginning of the quote was removed, framing the threat as if it directly came from Reese.
A news aggregation account on X tagged as “MAGA” and “America first” posted the abbreviated, misleading version of the quote in a graphic that Reese caught. After Reese called out social media users’ “selective hearing” and posted a link to her full episode, the account deleted and then reposted the graphic, citing a “liberal Community Noter” who was working to get the graphics taken down from X.
Even prominent sports brand Yahoo Sports posted the abbreviated, misleading version of the quote.
Angel Reese and DiJonai Carrington say WNBA players are ready to go on strike in upcoming CBA negotiations š
(via @angelreeseshow) pic.twitter.com/PtdK3psE8y
ā Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 8, 2025
In her own post on X, Reese noted the hypocrisy of online commentators, who diminish her perspective while constantly pedestalizing her words.
“Having to tell lies for engagement is crazyyyy work,” she wrote.
For someone they āhateā so much, literally be having them so riled upš¤£š Having to tell lies for engagement is crazyyyy work. https://t.co/ufybbaO8KY
ā Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) March 9, 2025
While social media tricksters may be getting tired of the callouts, Angel Reese content clearly sells online. Because she is a brash, outspoken athlete with a significant platform whose rivalry with Caitlin Clark has become a culture war over race and gender, Reese is a target.
Like many hot-button characters in political and social issues, Reese will continue to face lies and unfairāeven hatefulā commentary. Even if she continues to call out lies she sees online, she can’t keep track of them all.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.