In what will almost certainly go down as one of the most unforgettable—and unforgivable—moments in professional sports, Chicago Sky star Angel Reese had an on-court meltdown, so castles that critics argue he “handed women’s basketball to a generation.” Over the course of just 15 seconds, Reese grabbed four offensive rebounds and missed four consecutive layup attempts, leaving fans and analysts stumped, social media in uproar, and the league’s credibility momentarily in tatters. As the clip exploded online, pundits questioned not only Reese’s fundamentals, but also the state of the WNBA and the broader future of women’s sports.
The Play: How 15 Seconds Became Infamy
The setting was a nationally televised game between the Chicago Sky and the New York Liberty at Wintrust Arena. Late in the first quarter, with the sky hanging by a handful, Reese went in for her first offensive rebound. From that moment on, what should have been a routine putback turned into a train wreck:
Missed Layup No. 1 (11:12 left in Q1):
Reese caught a pass from the wing and rose up under the basket. Instead of a simple roll to the rim, her shot flashed hard off the backboard.
Missed Layup No. 2 (11:06 left):
Unfazed—or so it seemed—Reese crashed the glass again, got a second offensive board and immediately showed up for another easy scoop. He also didn’t find the bottom of the net.
Missed Layup No. 3 (11:00 left):
On his third rebound in seven seconds, Reese attempted an end of traffic. The ball slipped through his fingers, rolling off the rim.
Missed Layup No. 4 (10:57 left):
In three seconds, Reese hauled in his fourth offensive board in less than 15 seconds and rose once more for a near-report bucket… only to miss again, this time grabbing an edge at the rim.
By the time she stepped back, dazed and frustrated, Freedom had turned a potential momentum-transfer sequence into their own fuel. Opposing coach Dawn Staley later ridiculed the sequence as “a basketball clinic gone horribly wrong,” while spectators gasped at how quickly an NBA-style highlight could devolve into a blooper reel.
“I don’t know what happened,” Reese told reporters afterward, adjusting his headband.
“I felt strong, I had a position—so it just wasn’t right. I have to dust myself off. It’s a bad night, but I’m going to keep going.”
In true Fox-style fashion, let’s not mince words: this was more than just a “bad night.” It was an embarrassment of historic proportions.
Immediate fallout: social media erupts
Seconds after the fourth miss, the ESPN broadcast cut to a studio panel, but it was too late – the clip was already trending:
“New: This belongs on the ‘Blooper of the Year’ reel,” tweeted one viral sports account.
“Worst streak I’ve ever seen at any level of basketball,” one Fox Sports analyst fumed on air.
“Is it 1998 or 2024? Jesus Christ, how do you miss so many layups?!?” wrote another X user, summarizing a sentiment shared by tens of thousands of fans.
Even viewers unfamiliar with the WNBA knew they were witnessing something painful. The hashtags #reesefail, #NNBABLOOPER, and #Bringback1998 trended within minutes—a tongue-in-cheek nod to the suggestion that such a moment would have been unthinkable in the league’s early years.
“I thought women’s basketball had evolved,” posted one critic.
“But tonight felt like a step back into the ‘Set Shot’ era.”
Background: Angel Reese’s background versus a horrific streak
Despite what may seem like a career-defining slump, it’s crucial to remember that Angel Reese is no novice. At 6’2” with a relentless motor, she dominated college basketball at LSU – averaging 18.5 points and 10.7 rebounds as a senior and winning a national championship. In her rookie season with the Sky, Reese posted multiple double-doubles and was a force on the glass, with a spot on the WNBA All-Doubles.
“She gave us a reason to hope,” Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon said before the game.
“Angel’s hustle and skill are real. Tonight is just an exception.”
But for all his strengths, one glaring statistic has reignited Reese throughout his professional career: his layup conversion rate. According to league tracking, Reese made just 42 percent of his attempts at the rim—one of the lowest rates among frontcourt players. The Liberty streak simply exposed that inefficiency in a painfully public way.
“Sometimes she looks like a star,” noted former WNBA star Diana Taurasi.
“Then, in moments like tonight, you see why some fundamentals need work.”
Analysts sound the alarm: “The league cannot afford moments like this”
For years, the WNBA has worked to raise its profile—finding national television deals, boosting attendance, and developing a steady pipeline of talent. Moments like Reese’s 15-second meltdown, however, threaten to undermine that progress.
Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless was particularly ruthless:
“I don’t say this lightly, but that sequence was an embarrassment,” Bayless exclaimed on her webcast.
“It sets the WNBA back 25 years—to a time when people made fun of women’s basketball. That’s not hyperbole. Fans turned out to see elite athletes. Instead, they saw clowns.”
The sentiment, however extreme, reflects a genuine concern. A single viral clip can shape perceptions, especially among casual viewers. If the WNBA is to continue its upward trajectory, it must ensure its stars can deliver the basics: make layups, execute crisp offenses, and minimize mistakes that reinforce old stereotypes.
Divided fans: sympathizers vs. hardliners
As one might expect, social media has become a battleground of opinions:
Supporters argue that one streak shouldn’t define a player’s entire body of work, especially a rookie who is still learning.
The Hardliners insist that a league aspiring to mainstream legitimacy cannot tolerate such lapses, especially not on prime-time television.
“We’ve all had sleepless nights,” wrote one fan.
“Let’s give Ange a break.”
“Break? You watched four missed layups in 11 seconds,” countered another.
“This isn’t ‘Breaking’—it’s a funeral.”
Even some WNBA veterans weighed in. Sky teammate Kamilla Cardoso – the team’s other rookie star – chimed in on Instagram:
“We all see the clip. We know it stings. But I believe in Angel. She will bounce back.”
Historical Comparisons: Has anything rivaled this idiot?
To find a parallel, you have to dig into decades-old archives. In 1989, Long Beach State guard Alisa Burr missed three consecutive layups in a Pac-10 game—an oddity, but hardly one that went viral beyond local news. Fast-forward to the early 2000s, and Kobe Bryant had his share of cold ones, but even those performances are measured against career Hall of Fame benchmarks.
“If Shaq missed four layups in a row, you plug him into a montage with his 36 points,” says sports historian Doug Feinstein.
“But here, because of the lingering stigma surrounding women’s sports, one bad stretch can overshadow everything else.”
That’s the crux of the controversy: This wasn’t just a “blooper.” It was a spectacle that reignited old debates about whether the WNBA is “worthy” of prime-time billing. When a player of Reese’s caliber can look so inept from the rim, critics are quick to cite the inflationary headlines: “Women’s Basketball Regression!” “Not Ready for the Big Stage!”
WNBA Response: Coaches, Teammates, and League Officials Weigh In
After the game, coach Teresa Weatherspoon offered a message of support:
“Angel’s Human. She’s going to be portrayed and criticized for a series. But I’ve seen her work ethic. She’ll be fine.”
Yet league commissioner Cathy Engelbert, when asked about the fallout, pointed to the WNBA’s standards:
“We expect excellence,” Engelbert said in a brief phone interview.
“Tonight’s streak is unfortunate, but it doesn’t define Angel or our league. We will continue to develop players and hold them to the highest level of performance.”
Yet behind closed doors, league officials are restless. One senior executive told Fox News:
“We can’t have our stars go viral for clown shoes.
Looking ahead: Can the WNBA recover?
The remainder of the Sky season—and indeed, the entire WNBA schedule—now exists under the shadow of Angel Reese’s meltdown. Will fans leave? Or will they remain invested in a league that, only in recent years, has begun to eclipse the attendance figures and television ratings that have lagged far behind the NBA G League?
Key considerations:
Player Development: Emphasizing basic fundamental skills training, especially for high usage post players.
Media management: crafting stories that highlight resilience rather than sensationalizing failures.
Fan Engagement: Encouraging fans to see players as evolving athletes – not one-dimensional performers.
“If the WNBA can harness the reaction and turn it into learning moments, it will emerge stronger,” suggests sports business consultant Linda Nash.
“Otherwise, we risk being a footnote in sports history.”
Angel Reese: Redemption Roadmap
For Reese, the path forward is clear but daunting. She must show:
Immediate improvement: converting near attempts into practice, abandoning private videos faced with error, demonstrating his work ethic.
Responsibility: Publicly admitting the mistake, participating in community clinics – teaching the fundamentals to young players who idolize him.
On-field resilience: Posting a string of double-doubles to remind critics that she’s a bona fide talent, not a one-trick pony.
“She has the physical tools,” notes NBA veteran Marcus Pierce.
“Now it’s about mental toughness. Handling the spotlight and learning from that breakdown.”
Final Word: A Defining Moment for Women’s Basketball
Angel Reese’s 15-second gaffe may be the most embarrassing single sequence in league history, but whether it “brings the WNBA back 25 years” depends on the league’s response—and Reese’s resilience. Critics of women’s basketball have lurked in corners since the WNBA’s inception in 1997. Every viral misstep becomes a weapon for detractors who claim “women can’t play at this level.”
Yet if women’s basketball has proven anything, it’s adaptability. From the dominance of the U.S. national team to the rise of WNBA icons who transcend sports, this community has proven critics right time and time again. Now the challenge is to turn a viral mistake into a comeback story—one that highlights the growth, tenacity, and unbreakable spirit of athletes who are more than a highlight (or lowlight).
“I felt that sting,” Reese admitted in her candid Instagram video.
“But I’m going to show the world that I belong here. If this is rock bottom, then watch me come back up.”
That statement—was it?—captures the essence of what’s at stake. This isn’t just Angel Reese’s moment; it’s a test of how the WNBA handles adversity. Success means rallying around its stars, celebrating resilience, and continuing to move forward. Failure means letting a brief lapse define an entire league.
For Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark and every player in between, the next chapters reveal whether women’s basketball is still on an upward arc—or if a viral gaffe can indeed drag a generation back to the era when critics judged headlines.
