"Some of this drama got to her" - Rachel DeMita speaks out on Angel Reese's 'villain' role, holds Sky rookie partly responsible for fan backlash

Angel Reese was comfortable being called the "bad guy" or "villain" during her career in LSU, as well as in the WNBA. However, former NBA 2KTV personality Rachel DeMita thought Reese bit more than she could chew with the amount of backlash she's getting on social media.

Speaking on her "Courtside Club" podcast on Tuesday, DeMita explained why the "villain" role might have been too much for the Chicago Sky rookie. She pointed out that it was Reese who opened herself to being the "bad guy" a few months ago.

"I honestly don't think that she should have ever taken on that villain role. ... Seeing Angel Reese in the media throughout the past three months and how she has come out multiple times and said how she gets a lot of hate online. She gets bullied, different things are sent to her, a lot of these things are alluding to the fact, and she even said that in her farewell letter, that this is the first time that she will get a physical and mental break," DeMita said.

The current podcaster and basketball personality added:

"I do think that some of this drama, and she started some of it to be fair, got to her and probably took up more mental space and emotional space than it should have."

Rachel DeMita also advised Angel Reese to stop making sly remarks about Caitlin Clark and her fans despite claiming there's no "bad blood" between the two rookie superstars.

DeMita even explained why it might be best for Reese to just stop responding to her haters online, especially addressing them on her newly launched podcast. It will create just more controversy heading into next season, which could affect her mental health.

---

Angel Reese expected to undergo surgery on injured wrist

Angel Reese expected to undergo surgery on injured wrist. (Photo: IMAGN)

Angel Reese announced on Saturday that she will miss the remainder of the season due to a wrist injury suffered against the LA Sparks.

In a video uploaded on her TikTok account, Reese further explained that she will need to undergo surgery on her left wrist on Tuesday. She has a small crack in her wrist and the procedure is necessary to avoid any complications such as arthritis.

"Basically, the doctors told me that I could either not get surgery or have surgery. The risk of not having surgery, I could literally have arthritis at 22 years old. That wasn't an option. The bone could literally crack and completely shatter. Right now, it's like a hairline. ...They're going to put a small screw in it. And I wasn't going for it getting any bigger," Reese said. [H/T ESPN]