by Kandiss Edwards
June 13, 2025
Ariel Atkin’s spoke to reporters about their therapy of Angel Reese the “23-year-old child,” advising them to maintain the subject on basketball.
Ariel Atkins, a Chicago Sky participant, stepped as much as defend Angel Reese at a post-game press convention.
After the Sky’s June 10 loss to the reigning champions, Atkins and Reese sat right down to take questions. Reese, a adorned NCAA participant and well-known WNBA participant, is the topic of heavy media criticism. As Caitlyn Clark’s star rises within the execs, her faculty rival, Reese, is commonly lambasted. Therefore, Atkins preemptively spoke to the press about their therapy of the “23-year-old child.” She directed the media panel to maintain their questions centered on basketball. At the moment, the workforce is 0-6 of their season. The taking pictures guard confused her need to depart the private “nonsense” out of the dialog.
“This can be a 23-year-old child and the quantity of crap that she will get on day-to-day, and she or he nonetheless exhibits up,” Atkins started. “No matter questions y’all acquired about our workforce, basketball-wise we admire it, however all the opposite nonsense, it’s irrelevant. We’re right here to play basketball and do what we do. We’re having a tough time proper now on the finish of the day.”
Reese remained silent with teary eyes as her teammate got here to her protection.
“Her crown is heavy, so no matter else y’all wanna come at her for the best way that she acts, she has to construct a wall,” Atkins continued. “She has to have a wall. As a result of if she doesn’t, folks will break her down. Not solely due to the best way that she appears to be like however due to the best way she carries herself.”
The previous few weeks have been significantly troublesome for the Sky ahead. After the June 7 loss to the Indiana Fever, commerce rumors started to flow into. The workforce suffered a loss when veteran level guard Courtney Vandersloot suffered an ACL harm. Sky reporter Kari Bell made the suggestion as a solution to safe a brand new level guard.
“If the Sky wished to go and get one other level guard rapidly, that is the quickest solution to do it with out taking a wage hit,” Bell wrote. “Each Reese & Cardoso are massive names that draw within the followers and are completely massive commerce capital for the Sky.”
Although Reese is capitalizing on her fame and seems to be having fun with her youth, she will be able to’t win. Off the courtroom, spectators demand she leaves her modeling gigs, Met Gala appearances, and podcast, Unapologetically Angel, behind and deal with the ball. On the courtroom, because the main rebounder in the whole league, spectators demand she performs higher. Fortunately, supporters and teammates like Atkins have her again.
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