Angel Reese Calls Out ‘Nasty’ Harassment of Chennedy Carter Over Foul on Caitlin Clark

WNBA star Angel Reese is coming to her teammate’s defense after an incident at their hotel.

On June 5, the popular rookie and other Chicago Sky players claimed Chennedy Carter was targeted by an aggressive “fan” while trying to get off the bus. Carter has been at the center of WNBA discourse since a hard foul against Indiana Fever player Caitlin Clark went viral over the weekend. At the time Clark fans were upset that the shoulder check—which took place while the ball was not in play—was dubbed a common foul by officials. However, the discourse has continued to spiral despite the WNBA’s decision to upgrade the foul to a flagrant 1.

According to ESPN, a since deleted X.com video showed a man attempting to approach Carter as she got off her team’s bus. Fellow Sky player Michaela Onyenwere claims the video was edited and that the culprit also harassed the staff and other players.

“Getting harassed at our hotel is where the line needs to be drawn. Some ‘fans’ have NO CHILLLLL,” she wrote in one X.com post, adding, “We have security, and they did a great job of de-escalating the situation/protecting us. It’s still extremely weird & crosses the boundaries meeting us right when we get off the bus.”

According to Sky player Isabelle Harrison, Carter “couldn’t even step off the bus,” also writing, “Thank GOD for security. My teammate being harassed at our hotel is insane!”

Angel Reese further denounced the incident on X.com, telling fans that coming to their hotel to put a camera in her teammate’s face is “nasty work.” She continued, “This is really outta control and needs to STOP.”

While Brianna Turner says she wasn’t present when the alleged incident took place, she also took to X.com to support her teammate. “Didn’t realize that when we said ‘grow the game’ that would be interpreted as harassing players at hotels,” she wrote on X.com later in the evening. “You are free to have your own opinion but consider if this happened to someone u know.”

The WNBA has been the subject of debate ever since the popularity of Clark, Reese, and other beloved rookies skyrocketed viewership of the 2024 season. Carter’s foul against Clark appeared to feed the discourse that players may be targeting the newbies more aggressively than usual over alleged “jealousy.”

For her part, Clark said the foul was “just not a basketball play,” later adding, “I think at this point I know I’m going to take a couple of hard shots a game and that’s what it is.”

Before the foul was upgraded, Carter refused to answer any “Caitlin Clark questions” during a post-game press conference, though she took to social media to address critics on X.com, writing, “Troll notifications blowing up. I love it.” She also dissed Clark on Instagram Threads, posting, “& that’s that on that cause beside three point shooting what does she bring to the table man.”

After the foul was upgraded to a flagrant 1 on June 2, Chicago Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon claimed Carter “will learn” from the incident. “Physical play, intensity, and competitive spirit are hallmarks of Chicago Sky basketball. Chennedy got caught up in the heat of the moment in an effort to win the game,” she said in a statement on June 3. “She and I have discussed what happened and that it was not appropriate, nor is it what we do or who we are. Chennedy understands that there are better ways to handle situations on the court, and she will learn from this, as we all will.”

She continued, “As a team, we will grow together and continue to work hard to display strong leadership and set a positive example for our competitors, fans, and partners.”

One thing is for sure, the Chicago Sky team has each other’s backs.