- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,214,495
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
Jul 2, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) waits for play to start against the Washington Mystics during the third quarter at CareFirst Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
On Friday night, Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream defeated the Toronto Tempo by a score of 111-92 in a game where Reese dominated, finishing the game with 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting with 12 rebounds. However, it wasn’t the game itself that stole the headlines from the day.
Late in the game, Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello could be heard referring to Reese as a “protected species,” which clearly did not land well with the Dream star, given the connotations.
Sandy Brondello Calls Reese ‘Protected Species’
Late in the game, Reese and Tempo forward Nyara Sabally collided. While Sabally was the one who was whistled for the foul, she actually got the worst of the collision, suffering an apparent rib injury. She stayed on the floor for an extended period of time and required help getting off the court.
As Sabally was down on the court, Brondello could be heard pleading with the referees, arguing on behalf of her player and against Reese. Amidst her conversation with the officials, Brondello could be heard calling Reese a “protected species.”
It’s worth noting that Brondello is Australian, and the term “protected species” is slang in Australia for someone who receives preferential treatment. Still, the remark did not land well with WNBA fans or Reese herself, as associating Black people with animals has a very negative cultural meaning in America.
Reese Not Happy
Regardless of Brondello’s intent with her choice of words, Reese clearly took offense, given the connotations whenever a Black person is associated with an animal.
After the game, Reese took to social media, where she shared a post from a fan criticizing Brondello.
“Calling a Black woman a species…” the fan wrote in a post on X.
“ARE WE SURPRISED?!” Reese commented, tagging Brondello and adding a clown emoji.
Reese was certainly not the only one to voice her objection.
“Completely unacceptable and out of line,” one WNBA fan account said of Brondello’s words.
“This is a fireable offense,” another fan added.
“DISGUSTING. I don’t care if it’s an Australian saying in sports. It’s unacceptable & highly offensive,” another fan wrote.
“Two things can be true. Do I think Sandy is a bad person? No. I don’t think her history points to that. Should she absolutely apologize for the impact and potential harm? Yes. This isn’t Australia and cultural ignorance doesn’t fly. If she’s who I think she is, she’ll apologize,” someone else added.
Clearly, Brondello’s choice of phrase did not land well with the American players and audience, where such phrasing has a very different meaning and connotation.
The post WNBA coach caught calling Angel Reese a ‘species’ appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions.
Continue reading...
