The 2026 WNBA regular season is set to start next month.
The league, which finalized a new collective bargaining agreement with its players earlier this year, is drawing a lot of attention heading into the new season. The league’s new agreement with its players includes massive raises, as several players are receiving 500 percent to 600 percent raises – and it some cases even more.
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The new agreement, of course, includes media obligations. Networks like ESPN and NBC are paying a ton of money to broadcast the league’s games. Players have an obligation to speak with the media.
But not everyone likes to do that. Case, in point: Angel Reese.
Reese, who got traded from the Chicago Sky to the Atlanta Dream this offseason, has sparked some controversy in the past, with her sessions with the media.
The former LSU Tigers star has called out the media for giving Caitlin Clark too much credit for the rise of women’s basketball. She believes she deserves a lot of credit, too.
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“It’s not just because of one person. It’s because of me too and I want you to realize that,” Reese said in 2024. “It’s not just because of one person.”
Reese has sparred with the media at times, getting to the point where she has refused to speak following games or practices. And that is resulting in fines.
Now, Reese is publicly daring the WNBA to fine her again
Reese, speaking on a recent podcast episode, made it clear that she will refuse to speak with the media again.
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She doesn’t care if the WNBA fines her, either.
“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 said.
This is not the first time Reese has said this, either. She’s made it clear that she would rather be fined than speak with the media when she doesn’t want to.
She’s admitted to being “scared” of the media.
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“Even before the game, I’m terrified of what the media is about to ask,” Reese said on an episode of her podcast, Unapologetically Angel. “It could be the nicest question, but it’s going to get flipped or put into a different light or a different perspective. It’s like, are you here intentionally to start mess or are you intentionally here to ask a question? It’s really tough for me, especially in the media. It’s like, I don’t want to do an interview with anybody.
“I get excited for certain people, like a Taylor [Rooks]. Certain people I know I can talk to, but I’ll take the fine. I literally will take the I’d rather take the fine, seriously. I’d rather take the fine sometimes rather than talking to the media because it always gets flipped.
“For me, the media is really scary. That’s why I have never been on anybody else’s podcast. I’m scared to do stuff like that because I know how things could get flipped.”
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Reese doesn’t appear to have changed her mindset heading into 2026.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Apr 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
