Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese is at the center of a controversy that has ignited a racial debate within the WNBA, after amplifying a comment made by Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello. The incident occurred Friday night during the Dream's 111-92 victory over the Tempo, when a hot mic captured Brondello referring to Reese as a "protected species" following a foul call.
Reese responded to the captured audio on social media, posting "ARE WE SURPRISED?!" while tagging Brondello. This reaction led to widespread interpretation that the comment was racially charged, with fans on X, formerly Twitter, suggesting that calling a Black woman a "species" was inherently offensive.
However, according to OutKick, the term "protected species" is not inherently racist and is commonly used in sports as slang for a player who receives preferential treatment or calls. Brondello, who is Australian, may have used the term in its colloquial sense, meaning someone who is given favorable treatment. This interpretation is supported by the fact that the phrase is frequently used in other professional sports leagues, such as the NFL, when discussing quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes or Tom Brady, or in baseball for veteran players.
The article suggests that Reese's amplification of the comment, without considering its potential context or common usage in sports, dangerously pushed a narrative of racism. This, it argues, diverted attention from Reese's dominant performance in the game, where she scored 23 points and had 12 rebounds. The author posits that the WNBA often thrives on controversy and that this instance, fueled by social media, has become a "non-story" that Reese herself chose to amplify.
This incident follows another recent event where a fan was reportedly fired after allegedly sending a racial slur to WNBA player Chelsea Gray. While that situation involved clear racial abuse, the current controversy surrounding Brondello's comment is presented as a misinterpretation that Reese exacerbated, leading to a focus on "RACISM!" rather than her athletic achievements.