Angel Reese has never been one to shy away from speaking her mind, and the WNBA All-Star voting results gave her plenty of ammunition. For the first time in her career, the Atlanta Dream forward was not selected as an All-Star starter—and when she saw that none of her teammates made the cut either, she let loose.
“I expect to be disrespected,” Reese told reporters Thursday, via ESPN. “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. For us not to have anyone was just a slap in the face, but they’re not going to say anything. I am.”
Reese was particularly fired up about Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray, both of whom have been instrumental in the Dream’s impressive 12-8 start. Howard ranks second in the league in three-pointers per game, while Gray is among the top five in steals. Jordin Canada also ranks fourth in assists, and Reese herself leads the WNBA in rebounds—as usual.
The Dream currently sit fourth in the standings, just three wins behind the Minnesota Lynx for the top spot. That kind of success, Reese argues, should have earned at least one starter nod. “Congrats to the ones that were nominated, they were well-deserved,” she said. “But it’s a very big shocker to see that none of us were starters, especially where we are as a team in the league.”
Reese’s frustration echoes past moments where she’s felt overlooked, but this time it’s personal—it’s about her squad. The Dream have already surpassed last season’s win total with the Chicago Sky, and Reese is just one win shy of matching her 2024 rookie campaign mark. Yet the All-Star snub stings.
There’s still a chance Reese and her teammates could make the team as reserves or replacements, but the initial snub clearly got under her skin. “I’m sure we’re still going to be All-Stars. I have no doubt in my mind that we still will be, but I think it is important to note that none of us were starters on a team that has had so much success this year,” she added.
The Dream’s rise has been one of the WNBA’s best stories this season, and Reese has been at the center of it—on and off the court. Whether she’s shattering records or standing up for her teammates, she’s not about to let a voting process define her team’s worth. “I expect to be disrespected,” she said, “but they’re not going to say anything. I am.”
