Angel Reese is no stranger to a crowd jeering her, a trend that continued in her back-to-back matchups with rival Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. However, Reese drew strength from a song that was playing just moments before the first game.

On June 18, cameras caught Reese singing along to “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a hymn widely known as the “Black National Anthem.”

After winning twice against Clark and the Fever, the Dream forward was asked how she felt hearing the powerful song just before tip-off, on the eve of Juneteenth, which is a US federal holiday that celebrates the end of slavery in the country.

“It was just one of those moments of where I was and how it felt and how it hit and that things that I’ve had to experience over the past couple of years. It hasn’t always been great, but my ancestors walked so I could run.” Reese told the media postgame.

She added, “I’ll never forget that. Every day I wake up, I’m very grateful. It’s not supposed to be easy, but I’m very, very grateful for this opportunity to be a Black woman. It’s a privilege, and to be in this space, to shine, and use my voice, it’s very important.”

Safe to say that Reese definitely shone over the two meetings against Clark. She scored 18 points and 8 rebounds on Saturday, which comes after she put up 21 and 11 in the previous victory.

Reese also became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 1,000 rebounds following the games against the Fever.

Historically, Clark has always had the number of Reese ever since the old college foes went pro. In the Fever's first meeting against the Dream, Clark extended her record to 5-1 against Reese.

But the Bayou Barbie has now turned the script to her favor. While she has definitely upped her game since coming to the Dream, she would not have reached this step without the help of her All-Star teammates.

Angel Reese Can Rely on Her Teammates

Taking an example of the back-to-back contests against the Indiana Fever, all five Dream starters scored in double digits.

Additionally, alongside Reese are two more All-Star players in Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard. Reese has also publicly acknowledged her teammates' efforts, while the Dream has helped her play much more to her strengths.

This is an important point, as till now in her WNBA career, we have seen Reese play on a much inferior team, the Chicago Sky, who are definitely missing her presence with a record of 4-11.

Moreover, Reese faced issues over the two years she spent with the Chicago Sky, from publicly criticizing the franchise's roster construction to a clash with the front office.

Reese was also suspended for a short time, which acted as a catalyst for her subsequent trade to the Atlanta Dream this season. However, reports suggested that Reese actually did not request a trade.

Still, moving to the Dream has given Reese a much better opportunity to compete against Clark and other big guns like Paige Bueckers and A'ja Wilson.

Moreover, this may very well be the first season where we see Reese in the playoffs. With the Dream sitting fancy with an 11-4 record, it is not a matter of if, but when.

So, who do you think has better chances of winning the WNBA title before, Angel Reese or Caitlin Clark? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Joy Bassy