Angel Reese says no Atlanta Dream All-Star starters is a 'slap in the face'

WNBA player Angel Reese has criticized the lack of Atlanta Dream starters in the upcoming All-Star Game, calling it a 'slap in the face' to her teammates. The controversy stems from a weighted voting system that favored other players despite the Dream's strong conference record.
Why it matters
This highlights tensions regarding player recognition and the influence of fan voting versus performance metrics in professional sports.
Despite being tied for the best record in the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Dream do not have a starter in this year's WNBA All-Star Game. Angel Reese, Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray narrowly missed out on the honor, although all three seem to be locks to at least be selected to play in the game. But that is not enough, said Reese. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Reese herself said she "expect[s] to be disrespected" but stood up for her teammates because "they won't say anything." "For those two though, I think they work so hard and they put a lot of work in, and the way that they're guarded every game and they [have to] adjust. The reason why we're where we are is because of those two," Reese said. "For us not to have anyone was just a slap in the face." CAITLIN CLARK'S PEERS MAKE IT CRYSTAL CLEAR THEY HATE HER WITH INSULTING ALL—STAR GAME VOTE Six frontcourt players were named starters (three for each team) based on a point system through voting by fans, media and players — Reese herself was ranked sixth by all three parties, but the weighted point system put her at seventh. As for guards, where there are four starters, Howard and Gray were fifth and sixth. Howard was the second-ranked guard by players but ninth by fans and fourth by media. Caitlin Clark was selected as an All-Star despite being ranked 11th at the guard position by her fellow players while being fifth in the WNBA with 21.2 points per game and second with 8.2 assists — the fans placed her second, and the media third, and she's the only player in the league averaging 20-plus points and eight-plus assists. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP Reese is once again averaging a double-double in her first season with the Dream, putting up 14.8 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, the latter figure a league high. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
The article emphasizes conflict and includes specific editorialized framing regarding Caitlin Clark's popularity versus performance.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in