Chicago Sky rookie forward Angel Reese made troubling allegations on social media Wednesday, claiming her teammates were the victims of a paparazzi-esque ambush.
Reese and her team are in town to take on the Washington Mystics on Thursday.
The mercurial WNBA star says somebody with “a camera” approached the club as they were getting off the bus. She insisted the individual “put it in my teammates face” and “harass(ed) her.”
Reese described the person and/or their actions on X as “nasty work.”
“This really is out of control and needs to stop,” she added.
RELATED: Angel Reese Insists She’s The Reason Fans Are Watching Women’s Basketball: ‘It’s Because Of Me Too’
Angel Reese Goes After Paparazzi, Video Surfaces
It’s unclear which of her teammates Angel Reese is referring to when she says an overzealous, paparazzi-like photographer targeted them.
Both she and guard Chennedy Carter have been actively courting attention of late with their physical actions against Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark, and follow-up claims that they don’t regret taking blindside shots at her.
Reese has also told the media that she is equally relevant to the WNBA’s popularity as Clark. “It’s because of me, too … And I want you to realize that,” she said.
A lone video appears to have cropped up on social media showing one photographer filming Carter and asking politely if she’s had a chance to “reach out to Caitlin.”
In the video, Carter is not close enough to have had the camera put in her face, but one security guard still feels the need to block the view.
It appears the account that posted the original video of the blog reporter asking Chennedy Carter questions got nuked.
— Adam Stroller (@StrollerAdam) June 6, 2024
Here is the video of what transpired during the incident today regarding Chennedy Carter, Angel Reese, Chicago Sky, and Caitlin Clark. pic.twitter.com/EVWIn5g9cS
With such a brief clip, it’s impossible to determine if there were other paparazzi involved acting more in the manner that Angel Reese claims.
Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca told the Chicago Sun-Times though that it doesn’t appear to have been a prolonged situation.
“It was over as fast as it started,” he said. “I’m very confident in our security always making our players feel safe. Today was a great example of how critical they are to our team.”
RELATED: USA Today Ranks Angel Reese Ahead Of Caitlin Clark In Their WNBA Rookie Power Rankings
Teammates Are Furious
Angel Reese’s teammates were even more furious over the paparazzi-like actions. Several went above and beyond the initial claims and said the situation was much worse.
Forward Michaela Onyenwere claims the same photographer edited out portions of the incident where he called the players “ghetto b—-es” and demeaned them by saying “women’s sports isn’t s—“.
“Thank god for security,” Sky forward Isabelle Harrison posted. “My teammate being harassed at our hotel is insane. Couldn’t even step off the bus.”
Forward Brianna Turner said that while she didn’t personally witness the incident, the media have “created an unstable environment for our safety.”
“The absurd headlines recently has certainly created an unstable environment for our safety,” Turner said. “I’ve been called every racial slur imaginable lately and my teammates have had it even worse.”
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