Angel Reese is leaning hard into the villain role, and WNBA fans are eating it up—or booing it down. During Tuesday night's matchup between the Atlanta Dream and the Dallas Wings, Reese decided to add a little extra spice to the contest.
After snagging an offensive rebound and scoring over Odyssey Sims, Reese hit the classic "too small" celebration. The Dallas crowd didn't take kindly to the gesture, and they let Reese hear it with a chorus of boos as she headed back on defense. Reese, never one to back down, responded by waving her arms to encourage even more noise. It was a moment straight out of a WWE script.
WNBA fans quickly flooded social media with reactions. Some criticized the celebration, with one fan saying, "Why does she act like finally making a basket is something to brag about, embarrassing." Another added, "She hit 4 celebrations after one bucket where literally no one boxed out over a 5’3 player in a game she had 10 points." But not everyone was against Reese. One supporter wrote, "I love Angel Reese, I don’t care what anyone says," while another commented, "Respect to Angel for embracing it but woof. This is villain origin story WWE edition."
Reese's fiery attitude has been a key part of her game since her LSU days, and it's carrying over to the WNBA. The Dream traded two first-round picks to the Chicago Sky for Reese, and so far, the investment looks smart. In her debut for Atlanta on May 9, she put up 11 points, 14 rebounds, and the game-winning block. Then against the Wings, she followed up with 12 points and 16 rebounds to help the Dream stay undefeated.
The Dream's perfect start has fans buzzing, and Reese is a big reason why. The team's next test comes Sunday in their home opener against the Las Vegas Aces. If Reese keeps delivering performances like these, the boos might turn into cheers—or at least fuel for more celebrations.
For those who missed the game, there was already frustration over the broadcast blackout that kept some fans from watching. Meanwhile, the Wings are dealing with their own concerns, including Azzi Fudd sitting out the home opener with a knee injury. Reese, though, is focused on making noise—literally and figuratively.
Reese's early-season success adds to the historic milestones set by her and Caitlin Clark during the WNBA's opening weekend. For now, Reese is happy to be the villain the league loves to hate.
