"Better than some of the people that y'all are kissing up to": Shaquille O'Neal goes beyond stats in Angel Reese defense amid criticism 

Dating back to her time in college, Angel Reese has always had a massive supporter in Shaquille O'Neal. As she continues to navigate her second year in the WNBA, the Hall of Fame center continues to sing her praises.

Reese has faced her fair share of criticism since joining the Chicago Sky. Some like to point out her style of play, while others zero in on her actions and comments off the court. Despite her public perception, Shaq remains in her corner.

Earlier this week, the LA Lakers legend sat down with "Sports Illustrated" to discuss a handful of topics. Angel Reese and the relationship the two of them have built since her time at LSU was brought up. While breaking down her game, Shaq boasted that she is a good young talent who doesn't get enough credit.

"She's as good and even better than some of the people that y'all are kissing up to," Shaq said. "But y'all don't it, but she knows it."

Through the early weeks of her sophomore campaign, Reese continues to be a double-double machine for the Sky. This season, she is averaging 10.0 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

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Shaquille O'Neal compares Angel Reese to NBA Hall of Famers

Shaq also touched on some of the advice he's given to Angel Reese. The main thing he has preached to her is not to get caught up in what fans are saying about her on the internet.

While continuing to speak about the Chicago Sky forward, Shaq touched on how narratives are always going to form. He also cited that these discourses are always centered around a "good" and "bad" guy. The former MVP then finished up by saying that Reese draws comparisons to himself and Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson.

"She reminds me of myself or A.I.," Shaq said. "They always gonna have a good guy and they always gonna have a bad guy."

"Don't worry about the nonsense. I tell her all the time, don't be looking at those comments."

After dropping their first four games of the season, Angel Reese and the Sky were finally able to get into the win column over the weekend. The group will now look to build off this momentum as they attempt to work their way up the standings.

As one of the more notable figures in the WNBA, Reese is always going to deal with outside noise. Luckily for her, she has a good mentor in Shaq to help her navigate this part of being a professional athlete.