IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Claressa Shields Sets Record Straight On Angel Reese 'Hate Train' Amid BET Awards Backlash

Originally posted on KO on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Jun 13, 2025 5:07 PM ET

On June 9, Chicago Sky WNBA star Angel Reese won the BET Sportswoman of the Year award at the 2025 BET Awards in Los Angeles, California, marking the third time the 23-year-old has won the award.

Women's boxing icon Claressa Shields was one of the other nominees for the award. And when it came out that Angel was the winner, Shields made several social media posts showing that she was less than stoked about not winning the honor.

"Still don’t know how I didn’t win the Sportswoman of the Year for the @BETAwards but Congrats to Angel Reese and all the other Nominees ‍♀️ I just thought accolades mattered," Shields wrote in one post.

She later added, "Ain’t nobody saying Angel Reese don’t have accolades or she not good…. I’m saying I thought the person with “THE MOST” accolades & accomplishments would win the Award. I’m team Angel Reese!"

Ain’t nobody saying Angel Reese don’t have accolades or she not good…. I’m saying I thought the person with “THE MOST” accolades & accomplishments would win the Award. I’m team Angel Reese!
— Claressa Gwoat Shields (@Claressashields) June 10, 2025

Shields received some backlash for these posts, largely because fans didn't appreciate how she was seemingly lamenting Reese having won the award. However, Shields got honest about her adoration for the WNBA icon during a June 13 interview with Brandon Robinson.

"It wasn't nothing against Angel, and I hate that they tried to pit me against her, when it's like I'm a fan of Angel Reese," Shields said. "She's young and she's hungry, and I see her wanting to get better. And honestly I don't know who get more hate, me or her."

She later added, "I hate that it actually looks like I joined the Angel Reese hate train. It's like no, listen, I'm with you. f*** them... I'm not allowed to be a competitor? That's what we are. We are female athletes. We are competitors... But I really do hate how they tried to pin us against each other. Listen, I'm an Angel Reese fan. I'm not a hater of her."