"Love being a Black woman in sports": Angel Reese embraces her identity with heartfelt message after three-peating major feat

Angel Reese was honored with the 2025 BET Sportswoman of the Year award on Monday. The Chicago Sky star won the award, beating players like Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson, French Open winner Coco Gauff, and Olympic legend Simone Biles.

Reese has received the honor in three consecutive years. She won the first BET award in 2023, following her national title win with LSU. The ecstatic WNBA star expressed her gratitude for the honor on social media on Tuesday.

She reposted a post by the Chicago Sky on her Instagram Story. Angel Reese embraced her black identity in the post's caption.

"3X IN A ROW 🙏🏽," Reese wrote.

"I LOVE being a black woman in sports."

Reese was honored with the award for her achievement both on and off the court.

"On the sports side, Angel Reese dominated as Sportswoman of the Year, continuing her streak of wins both on and off the court," the statement from BET read.

Reese's presence on social media and her deeper reach among WNBA and non-WNBA fans have been impressive. She also runs a successful podcast, "Unapologetically Angel," supported by some big brands.

Earlier this season, Reese made history by becoming the fastest WNBA player to record 500 points and 500 rebounds. She achieved the feat in 38 games, against Tina Charles, who previously held the record with 44 games.

WNBA fans react to Angel Reese receiving BET Sportswoman of the Year honor for third consecutive time

WNBA fans reacted to Angel Reese being honored with the BET Sportswoman of the Year award for the third time in a row. The award became a talking point among the fans, especially in light of Reese's struggles on the court.

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Reacting to the post, a fan was surprised that Reese won the award over A'ja Wilson.

"A’ja Wilson was POY. She is Black too. And good at basketball."

A fan termed the win "comical," citing Reese's struggles in her sophomore season.

"It's comical at this point how bad she is at basketball."

"If she’s woman of the year then she would sit herself on the bench and give her teammates a chance. Cause she is losing games single handily with her plus / minus rating. The team is 11 points better when she doesn’t play. Check for yourself. wNBA stat tracker."

Some fans were surprised that Reese was chosen for the award over some great women athletes.

"Should it have been influencer award?? Biles, Wilson, Cocoa, etc do they watch sports."

"3 times in a row..wtf..was thie award created for her?"

However, some fans supported Reese's win.

"Very well deserved. Continue being the light for women athletes around the world, Angel!" a fan wrote.

Angel Reese has been struggling this season, averaging 9.7 points per game and shooting 30.9% from the field, compared to 39.1% last season. On the other hand, she's leading the league in rebounding with 12.3 per game.

About the author

Nandjee Ranjan is a journalist covering the NBA and WNBA at Sportskeeda whose passion for basketball dates back to his childhood when he enjoyed playing the sport in school.

Nandjee finds his heart divided between two NBA powerhouses: the LA Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. He idolizes LeBron James and his leadership, while he appreciates the Warriors' dynamic and team-oriented style of play.
Basketball, for Nandjee, isn't just a sport but a holistic approach to fitness and well-being. He's been drawn to team sports, finding fulfillment in the physical engagement basketball offers.

With years of following basketball, Nandjee contextualizes historical events and player performances. He believes in conducting thorough research before writing, only taking information from reliable sources. He doesn’t mind taking more time to write an articles, as long as it is 100% accurate for his readers’ benefit.

During his leisure hours, Nandjee finds relaxation by reading books.

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Edited by Victor R. Lopez M.