Andraya Carter, Marcus Spears on Angel Reese criticism: 'That's what has to change'
Angel Reese is a very outspoken basketball player but that came with a lot of criticism. The LSU women’s basketball star is “unapologetically her” with the way she plays, looks and acts.
Being herself can draw unwanted attention. But there’s no doubt she had support from her head coach Kim Mulkey and teammates like Flau’jae Johnson.
On Tuesday morning’s Get Up, analysts Andraya Carter and Marcus Spears came to her defense following LSU’s loss to Iowa.
“You know, it’s sad to me Greeny, to have a player of that level of greatness have to deal with so much,” Carter said. “And I was talking to SVP after the game late last night and we have to reach a point where, and it should start with the college kids if it’s going to start anywhere, where we are judging them off of their performance on the court. I know Angel Reese, I’ve spent time with her.
“She is happy to accept criticism of her game. She is happy to talk basketball, she is happy to be held to a higher standard on the court. But when the insults and the phrases that are being said to her come at a personal level that weighs on you, we have to get to a point where we are judging performances and not judging them as people.”
Reese got into the spotlight when she helped lead LSU to the national title last season. It can be like a tidal wave at that point.
“I wouldn’t change anything, and I would still sit here and say I’m unapologetically me,” Reese said postgame. “I’m going to always leave that mark and be who I am and stand on that. And hopefully the little girls that look up to me (see that).
“And hopefully I give them some type of inspiration that know hopefully it’s not this hard and all the things that come at you, but keep being who you are, keep waking up every day, keep being motivated, staying who you are, stand ten toes, don’t back down, and just be confident.”
Criticism of the play on the court? Fine. But to take it a step further is where Carter, and Spears, draw the line.
“I’ve seen so many things about who Angel Reese is as a person from people who have never met her,” Carter said. “And that’s the degree that becomes so heavy. That’s what she’s talking about. She’s not talking about her game. She’s talking about off the court coming for who she is as a woman, and that’s what has to change.”
Angel Reese will always be herself on and off the court
Spears knows the big problem: it’s social media. Once you go down a rabbit hole on those apps, it’s hard to get out.
It’s something a younger generation obsesses over, good and bad. Reese can be herself, but it unfortunately doesn’t stop criticism or hate that goes over the line.
“The issue with sports in general right now, especially with the communication and social media, and you’re able to follow athletes and to Angel’s point, we dehumanize them,” Spears said. “We’ve objectified and … we all know who she is, and we know what she stands for. And we know that she’s a great person. But people are objectified because it’s easy to do.
“Because a lot of what people do and a lot of the hate and vitriol that comes our way is because they can’t do it. It’s because they’re not in that position because of the work that they put in. And I think the more and more she grows, she’ll understand that.”
Reese said she hoped “the little girls that look up to her” can take some inspiration from her on and off the court when they look at her LSU career.
“And the other thing that reminded me of what she was talking about at that press conference last night because I made a couple of statements on Twitter last night and you should see what people said about it,” Spears said. “Like it was unbelievable. Unbelievable to me. All I said it was it was a horrible call, the charge call that fouled her out of the game and then it became about Angel Reese the person and I’m looking at it and … This is why I’ve been off this app for a month. Like sometimes it’s good to just unplug because you realize that people are objectifying these kids and they look at them as a thing and not as a human.
“Now it’ll come with maturity, she’ll understand how to handle it better. She’ll understand how to unplug, but continue to be you Angel. It’s a lot of people that’s rooting for you. It’s more people that love you than the people that (are) objectifying you and hating on you. So keep doing your thing.”