Angel Reese Turns Heads With Unapologetic Response to Viral Bikini Selfie

WNBA star Angel Reese addressed online critics head-on after facing backlash over swimsuit selfies posted to her social media. Refusing to apologize or change her personal brand, Reese pushed back against public commentary about how female athletes choose to present themselves outside of basketball.

Reese defended her right to share lifestyle content without facing unwanted sexual attention. She also said fame can make people forget that she is still a young woman dealing with the pressure of public life.

Angel Reese responds to criticism over swimsuit photos

The comments came on "Unapologetically Angel," the podcast Reese hosts with co-host Maya Reese. The conversation started after co-host Maya Reese asked Angel for her take on people in the media and online who treat her confidence in her body as justification for sexualizing her.

Reese said she simply does not accept that logic. "I don't know what that means because I'm a beautiful woman, I've been posting pictures in my bikinis, I got a nice body, and I work hard for it," Reese said . "If I want to post a picture of my bikini, I should be able to without being sexualized where I'm saying I'm asking for it."

She made clear the criticism is not new, and she is tired of hearing the same argument recycled every time she posts. "It's been happening for a really, really long time, no, now, and now it's just like, okay, find something new," she said.

Reese also pointed to Skylar Diggins-Smith as an example of a player who built a massive following partly on the strength of her confidence and style. She wondered aloud whether Diggins would have faced the same scrutiny Reese does now, had social media been as powerful back then.

"I'm sure Skylar Diggins was posting pictures of her bikini. I'm running because she walked, she's the OG," Reese said. "Knowing that, I wonder if social media was at a high when she was popping, would she be going through the same thing when it comes to that? Being a beautiful woman who posts pictures and always looks good?"

She also brought up WNBA legends Lisa Leslie and Tina Thompson, both Hall of Famers who were known for their style throughout their careers. Reese noted that neither player became a national flashpoint for it, largely because the platform for that kind of pile-on did not exist at the time.

Angel Reese sees this as the WNBA's "Baddie Era"

Despite the toll the attention takes, Reese did not frame the entire conversation as negative. She sees the current moment in the WNBA as something genuinely worth celebrating, even if increased visibility comes with a darker side.

"It's popping right now. I'm happy to see all the girly girls being able to pop it and look cute on the runway and being able to continue that because we have a couple of models in this league, like we got some face cards," she said.

On the court, Reese is having the best season of her career. In her first year with the Atlanta Dream after two seasons with the Chicago Sky, she is averaging 16.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.8 steals across 40 games. She also set the WNBA single-season record with her 29th double-double of the year, breaking a record that had stood for years. The Dream sit first in the Eastern Conference at 26-14.