How Angel Reese’s ‘Protected Species’ Incident Exposes a Double Standard in the WNBA
WNBA star Angel Reese is once again being asked to do what Black athletes are often expected to do: absorb the insult, accept the apology and move forward.
After Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello was heard calling Reese a “protected species” during a game against the Atlanta Dream, the WNBA suspended Brondello for one game. Brondello apologized, and Reese accepted, emphasizing that there is no place for discrimination in the league.
“First, I appreciate Sandy’s apology, but I also appreciate the love and support that I’ve had for the last 48 hours,” the Atlanta Dream player said on Sunday. “It has been very overwhelming with a lot of love and also other things. But I am grateful that the league did take action.”
Although it seems Reese and the WNBA are ready to move on, some are still debating whether Brondello’s punishment was enough.
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Some online critics argue Brondello should have been fired. Others say the phrase has a different meaning in Australian sports culture, where it describes a player receiving favorable treatment from officials.
But in the United States, especially when directed at a Black woman athlete, those words have a different weight.
“Angel, I’m sorry,” Brondello said in a public apology to Reese. “My frustration was with the officiating, but my words unfairly put the focus on you… I also understand that my words carried an impact beyond what I intended, particularly for Black women in our league, and I’m deeply sorry for that.”
Reese is one of the biggest stars in women’s basketball, but she is also one of its most scrutinized. Her confidence, celebrations, competitiveness and physical style of play have been repeatedly dissected in ways familiar to many Black women athletes. They are celebrated when they bring attention and excitement to the sport, but often criticized when they demand respect.
The bigger question is simple: Who receives immediate protection? Who gets the benefit of the doubt? Who gets defended with urgency?
When Republicans and conservative commentators argued that Caitlin Clark was experiencing racism and hostility during her rise, the issue became a national conversation, we previously told you. Clark’s treatment was debated across media platforms and political spaces, with many demanding accountability.
It’s a slightly different story for Reese.
For generations, Black women athletes have been expected to be strong enough to endure criticism but careful enough not to show anger. They are expected to lead while being denied the same space to express frustration that others receive.
Reese isn’t the only modern example. Just last week, Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray spoke out after a fan sent her a racist message. “People act like we just make this s**t up,” she said of the targeted message. “And the audacity to tell us as athletes to ‘shut up and dribble.’”
The fan was fired from his job at the Hilton, according to ESPN. Still, for Gray, Reese and other Black women in the league, accountability is not only about punishment. It is about recognizing harm and creating a culture where athletes are respected before controversy forces the conversation.
“The WNBA expects all coaches and team personnel to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and respect that are fundamental to our league,” the league said in a statement following the Brondello controversy.
As the WNBA grows, the standard must be clear: every star, including Black women, deserves the same protection, respect and urgency when a line is crossed.
