Angel Reese's toughness and hard-nosed style of play has sparked polarizing discussion around the WNBA world. Some love the Chicago Sky rookie's aggressive nature. Others have allowed it to shape their opinion of Reese as the WNBA's "bad guy.
" Shaquille O'Neal — a fellow former LSU basketball star — has emerged as a strong mentor for Reese as she embarks on her WNBA career. During an interview with People earlier this year, Shaq made his opinion of Reese's physical play style very clear. "She had to be tough.
She is tough and she applies that on the court. Some people don't like that and it's understandable, but she's not apologetic about it," O'Neal said of Reese growing up in Baltimore, Maryland. "I don't want her to apologize.
I want her to stay beautiful, stay classy and continue making a name for herself and taking care of her family," he continued. Shaq says other players like Angel Reese deserve credit for bringing more attention to the WNBA, not just Caitlin Clark (🎥 @bigpodwithshaq / https://t.co/A3DFtkh3Iy ) pic.
twitter.com/RQOKe69tIj Reese most recently made headlines for her Flagrant 1 foul on Caitlin Clark during Sunday afternoon's matchup between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever. © Jacob Musselman/ For IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK Reese faced quite a bit of backlash for this foul on social media.
But if she takes O'Neal's advice, she'll continue to play her game unapologetically. Reese and the Sky will face off against the Dallas Wings on Thursday night.
