What Did Boxer Claressa Shields Say About WNBA Star Angel Reese? Inside Her Explosive Remarks
Claressa took to social media to publicly air her frustrations at losing the BET Award for Sportswoman of the Year to Angel.
Published June 11 2025, 11:09 a.m. ET
The 25th annual BET Awards celebrated the best and brightest stars Black culture has to offer, making for an enjoyable show that fans are still buzzing about. However, 2025 nominee Claressa Shields appears to feel differently after losing an award to WNBA star Angel Reese.
Claressa, a heavyweight champion boxer whose story was the basis of the 2024 biopic The Fire Inside, took to social media to publicly air her frustrations at losing the BET Award for Sportswoman of the Year to Angel, and fans were not feeling it.
What did Claressa Shields say about Angel Reese?
In a series of messages posted to X (formerly Twitter), Claressa didn’t mince words as she stated that Angel was undeserving of the honor because she lacks the same number of accolades that she has.
”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’s comments began.
Fans instantly pushed back against her comments and defended the Chicago Sky star, who broke multiple records during her rookie season in the league.
“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 and accomplishments would win the award. I’m team Angel Reese,” Shields wrote in response to fans slamming her.
When fans still weren’t sold on her seemingly supportive comments regarding Reese and noted that she also has accolades, the 18-time heavyweight champion offered a fiery response. “Yes, she does, but who has more accolades … more success in their field? Please use Google before responding,” Shields wrote back.
She wasn’t done with the back and forth, and followed that reply with another when she was called a “sore loser” by another fan and responded with, “Naw, you hate the facts.”
Did Claressa apologize for what she said about Angel?
No, she hasn’t apologized, but she did state on X that despite how her comments were perceived by fans, she was not joining the Angel Reese “hate train,” which refers to the incessant criticism that Angel has received since she entered the WNBA.
“I’m not joining in on any hate train when it comes to Angel Reese. I have mad respect for her and all the other female athletes that excel in their sport,” Shields wrote. “As for my earlier comments, I am allowed to express my feelings. I was shocked I didn't win, I was under the impression the category was graded on accolades of your sport. It’s OK to be a competitor.”
Has Angel responded to Claressa’s comments?
As of now, Angel has not publicly responded to Claressa’s comments about the BET Award, and the jury is still out if she actually will. She has been known to express her feelings on social media in the past, so there is a chance that she could address it at some point.
Meanwhile, despite the Chicago Sky’s recent loss to the New York Liberty on Tuesday, June 10, Angel has notched four double-doubles of the season so far, according to Athlon Sports.