After an excellent WNBA rookie season with the Chicago Sky, Angel Reese took a little hiatus before joining the upstart 3-on-3 Unrivaled league for its first season. Reese plays for Rose Basketball Club, who slipped to 1-4 after losing 75-63 to Sabrina Ionescu’s Phantom Basketball Club on Friday night.
Reese delivered an amazing performance in Miami, Florida, where the games are being hosted. The former LSU Tigers standout scored 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds. Meanwhile, Ionescu, who recently won the WNBA championship, led the game with 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting, seven rebounds, and eight assists.
During the TNT broadcast, a fan captured a scene on the bench when Reese and her teammates were talking. The recording appeared to show Reese making a frank criticism about Ionescu’s defense. “They can’t stop it,” Reese seems to remark. “Sabrina can’t (expletive) guard.”
WARNING: This video may contain graphic content. Viewer discretion is advised.
The video soon gained traction on social media, with WNBA fans taking sides. Some people agreed with Reese, stating, “We all know Sab can’t guard.” Another user commented, “Players do this all the time, lol she didn’t lie.” A third person wrote, “And she’s right, so.”
Others backed Ionescu, emphasizing her strong attacking performance. “She doesn’t have to guard when she can outshoot your team the way she did tonight,” a player commented. A different individual commented, “Sabrina dropped 32 points after coming back from Paris lmao.” A third person said, “And you couldn’t protect her. She cooked your entire team.”
Reese (11.6 MPG) had the third-most minutes on Rose’s six-player roster after five games, averaging 11.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Ionescu, on the other hand, is third in the league in scoring (21.3 points per game) and leads in assists (5.3).
Reese and Rose Basketball Club play Laces BC on Saturday, while Ionescu and Phantom (2-3) meet Mist BC on Sunday.