If All-Star Weekend proved one thing, it's that Angel Reese doesn't have to do much to become the center of the conversation.
A simple pregame tunnel fit became the WNBA's most engaged All-Star post across the league's social media platforms, accumulating more than 105,400 likes and 28,700 comments as of this post. By comparison, the media's pick, Caitlin Clark, generated 63,600 likes and 5,200 comments on her tunnel fit.
That's the effect Reese has. Whether people support her or criticize her, they engage.
Ironically, Reese played just eight first-half minutes, didn't return after halftime, and finished scoreless. Aliyah Boston also went scoreless in limited minutes, but the viral graphic making the rounds singled out Reese, claiming she was the only player in WNBA All-Star history to finish with zero points. The claim was easily disproven, considering Napheesa Collier, Jackie Young, Jewell Loyd, Sue Bird, and several others have also had scoreless All-Star appearances.
The same pattern showed up with the game's lowlights. While viral lowlight accounts overlooked similar mistakes from other stars, Reese's blocked shot quickly became the clip that spread across social media. Caitlin Clark missed a point-blank putback, A'ja Wilson missed two layups, and Dominique Malonga had an airball putback attempt, but none of those plays received the same level of attention. It's a pattern that's existed for years. Entire accounts have built audiences around posting Reese's mistakes while similar plays from other stars come and go with little attention.
Her critics like to say they're "giving her the smoke," but that smoke has only fueled Reese's fire. Every repost, every fake quote, every lowlight, and every attempt to mock her keeps her at the center of the conversation.
That's why Reese remains one of the biggest stars in the sport. She can walk through a tunnel without saying a word, play just eight minutes, and still become the biggest story of the weekend. ๐ช
ESPN can try to suppress support for Angel Reese on its network... but it can't suppress reality: Angel Reese received the loudest applause during the player introductions. #WNBAallstar