'It's F--ked Up,' Carmelo Anthony Defends Angel Reese's 'Passion' Against Criticism

Ten-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony came to the defense of Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese ahead of the 2026 WNBA Finals.

In the newest episode of his 7PM in Brooklyn show, a Wave original, Anthony argued some fans focus on Reese's swaggering personality and ignore her incredible body of work across all levels.

"The antics a lot of times overshadow that. But it's not antics, it's passion. It's her passion," he said (1:43:00 mark). "And when you come from where she comes from, you understand that passion. You understand that chip that you play with… And she shows that, she exudes that. And some people take that in a different way, but it's her passion. ...

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"Shout out to Angel. I just wanted to give her her flowers cuz that's beautiful and a lot of people won't give her flowers that way and it's unfortunate and it's f--ked up. But like let her live."

Reese became a household name during the 2023 NCAA tournament. Not only was she the Most Outstanding Player as LSU lifted a national title, but she unleashed some incredible taunts in the process.

After the triumph, Reese explained how it had a purpose.

"All year, I was critiqued for who I was. I don't fit the narrative," she said, per ESPN's Michael Voepel . "I don't fit the box that y'all want me to be in. I'm too hood. I'm too ghetto. Y'all told me that all year. When other people do it, and y'all don't say nothing.

"So this is for the girls that look like me. For those that want to speak up for what they believe in. It's unapologetically you. And that's what I [did] before tonight. It was bigger than me tonight. And Twitter is going to go into a rage every time."

The recently crowned Defensive Player of the Year hasn't changed since arriving in the WNBA. Now, she's adding the team success to go with her prolific rebounding and almost nightly double-doubles.

The Dream swept the Washington Mystics and New York Liberty to reach the Finals for the first time since 2013. Reese has averaged 18.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks during the postseason.

Getting this far is already an affirmation of the 6'4" forward's value. Should she lift a WNBA title, expect some raucous celebrations.