Angel Reese willing to accept fines for not talking to media

Credit: IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson

Angel Reese, the seventh overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky, was dealt to the Atlanta Dream earlier this month in a blockbuster trade. Reese was no stranger to headlines during her two-year tenure with the Sky, with things coming to a head when she was critical of Chicago’s roster during a mid-season interview with the Chicago Tribune, resulting in the franchise issuing her a suspension.

The two-time All-Star is determined not to repeat her past mistakes in Atlanta, even if it means fines from the league offices. She recently appeared on former First Lady Michelle Obama’s IMO podcast earlier this week and admitted she’d rather deal with fines than a contentious relationship with the media.

“The media has not always been great for me. And I’ll take a fine. I’ll catch a fine, especially in a WNBA. I’ll have a fine before I have to go to media and feel like my back is against the wall,” Reese told an approving Obama.

This isn’t the first time Reese has expressed this perspective. She skipped out on media exit interviews at the conclusion of the 2025 campaign and went on to state on her podcast, Unapologetically Angel, that when it came to talking to the media, she’d “rather take the fine sometimes rather than talking to the media because (what she says) always gets flipped.”