Angel Reese said she was grateful the WNBA took action after Sandy Brondello called her a protected species, turning a sideline remark from Friday into the league’s latest public discipline. Reese addressed the issue on Sunday afternoon before the Atlanta Dream played the Chicago Sky, saying she appreciated the league’s response and wanted the matter behind her.
Reese said she had spent the last 48 hours dealing with an overwhelming wave of support and criticism, and made clear where she stood on the league’s response. She said there is no place for discrimination or hate in the league, and added that she wanted to move on and keep playing winning basketball. In a follow-up post on Friday, she quoted an X message reading, “Calling a Black woman a species…” and answered, “ARE WE SURPRISED?!” with a clown emoji.
The comment came after Reese collided with Nyara Sabally while battling for a rebound in Friday’s game, with officials calling the foul on Sabally. From the sideline, Brondello complained that Reese was a protected species, a phrase the source describes as a common Australian sports expression for a player seen as getting favorable treatment from officials. The league suspended Brondello for the remark, but it did not publicly allege racial intent, and there is no evidence in the record that the comment was made because Reese is Black.
That gap sits at the center of the dispute. Reese framed the episode as discrimination or hate, while the available facts stop short of showing that Brondello’s language was aimed at Reese’s race. For now, the league has drawn a line on the coach’s words, Reese has taken the action as a signal that her complaint was heard, and the unanswered question is how long the suspension will last and whether the WNBA will say anything more about the case.
