The 2026 WNBA Finals are delivering edge-of-your-seat action, but you wouldn't know it from some of the biggest sports shows on TV. As Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream sit just two wins from a championship, a growing chorus of critics is slamming the media for giving the series the cold shoulder — and for failing to give Reese her due.
On Thursday's First Things First, FS1's Nick Wright went on a passionate rant, calling out networks that have been all too eager to cover WNBA drama but mysteriously absent when it comes to actual basketball. Fans had already noticed that ESPN's First Take skipped Game 1 and Game 2 of the Dream-Valkyries series, and Wright wasn't having it.
"Sports media needs to decide whether it wants to cover the WNBA or not," Wright said, via Awful Announcing. "Here's what I mean. This show, we are a vast majority an NFL and NBA show. Baseball playoffs, a little college football here and there. But what we don't do is be like, 'Oh! Did a Black player foul Caitlin Clark hard? Let's put that in the show! Enes Kanter making a fool of himself again? Let's lead with it!' Some shows are doing that, that's fine. If you are one of those shows, then maybe pay attention to the actual basketball that's going on in the Finals right now because it's pretty good."
Wright then turned his attention to Reese, who has been nothing short of spectacular in her first WNBA Finals appearance. In Game 3, she dropped 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, powering the Dream to a 97-71 blowout win. That performance earned her a shoutout from Wright, who didn't hold back.
"If Angel Reese was going to have her status as a player stay at the level of her status as a celebrity she needed to get better," Wright said. "Well, this year that changed considerably. She's been phenomenal. Angel Reese's performance this playoffs gives her the opportunity to be a step behind A'ja Wilson as the top player in the sport."
Reese's playoff run has been a revelation. Coming into the postseason with zero experience, she's averaged 19.4 points per game on a scorching 48.1% shooting from the field. Her intensity has been a driving force, and her fiery leadership on the bench has set the tone for Atlanta's title push. Fans have also reveled in her on-court trash talk, which has added an extra layer of spice to an already heated series.
The Dream's dominance has even turned the crowd into a weapon, with home fans roasting Reese's doubters during the Finals. And in a moment that warmed hearts, Reese shared an emotional embrace with her college coach, Kim Mulkey, after a pivotal win — a reminder of the journey that brought her here.
Wright's criticism strikes at a larger issue: the media's tendency to treat the WNBA as a sideshow rather than a legitimate sporting spectacle. When a player like Reese is a constant presence in headlines for controversies or clashes, the same outlets that profit from that buzz should be ready to celebrate her greatness when it's on full display.
Game 4 is set for Saturday at 1 p.m. ET, with the Dream looking to take a commanding 3-1 lead. If Reese keeps playing at this level, the media won't have a choice but to pay attention — and maybe, just maybe, give her the credit she's earned.
