Shaq Takes Aim At Angel Reese's Critics - 'I Could Punch Some Of Them'

Shaquille O'Neal isn't afraid to be brutally honest, especially when it comes to WNBA star Angel Reese.

O'Neal has been a huge supporter of Reese ever since her days at LSU. With that said, he has closely followed her WNBA career, which already includes stints with the Chicago Sky and the Atlanta Dream. He has also voiced his support for rookie center Lauren Betts, who was drafted by the Washington Mystics earlier this year.

During an appearance on the "Rich Eisen Show" last week, the four-time NBA champion made it clear that he's done entertaining any disrespectful comments made towards Betts and Reese.

"I could punch some of these guys in their face that just pick on my Angel and pick up on my Lauren," the legendary NBA center said, via the New York Post. "Because enough is enough."

O'Neal believes there are a bunch of media members who are trying to go viral by criticizing Reese and other WNBA stars.

"The problem with [sports media] now is you're letting amateurs come in, and the amateurs think they have the same rights as you guys have. You letting all these guys come, and they say stuff off the wall, and they keep going. A lot of guys when they get off air, they want people to go to their page. So what do they do to go to their page? They'll take a hot topic and promote it on their page to get their followers up, but you know it's just a lot of nonsense, and just a lot of [it is] embarrassing, and a lot of bullying sometimes. Guys bullying guys is fine, but I can't let you just bully females just so you can get likes."

Angel Reese gets the last laugh.

While she'll never be able to silence all of her critics, Reese had most of them speechless this Tuesday night.

Not only did Reese have a double-double in a 91-75 win over the Connecticut Sun, she officially hit the 1,000 career points mark. Suffice to say, Atlanta fans were pleased with her performance.

Reese will be back in the spotlight on Thursday when the Dream take on Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.

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This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 7:59 PM.