Angel Reese opens up about singing the Black National Anthem while Fever fans boo him

Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese was seen singing the Black Nation anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing” at the home of Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever earlier Thursday, ahead of June 10.

Reese addressed the chant after his team beat the Fever for the second straight game on Saturday, referring to how Fever fans booed him in Indiana two days earlier.

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“It was just one time when I was there, and how it felt, and how it hit, and the things that I’ve experienced over the last few years, and they’ve always been good,” Reese told reporters on Saturday.

“It shouldn’t be easy, but I’m very grateful for this opportunity to be a black woman, it’s a privilege… to be where I was, I heard a lot of noise when I was on the stage, and when I heard ‘Lift Every Voice,’ it just made me feel like, this is for those who left for me.

Reese also answered a question about representing “Black culture” in Atlanta.

“Those little girls, those little boys out there, when they see a black girl being able to run up the court and have this life and have this experience, I think it’s very important. Representation is important, to use my voice, to use my platform, I will never be silent on the things that I believe in,” said Reese.

“Lift Every Voice and Sing” is often called the Black National Anthem. The NAACP says the song originated as a poem written in 1900 by James Weldon Johnson, with music composed by his brother, John Rosamond Johnson. A choir of 500 school children began to sing publicly in Jacksonville, Florida, in celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday.

The song has also been a part of WNBA Juneteenth programs in recent years. The NBA said in 2021 WNBA teams will play “Lift Every Voice and Sing” in the stands during Juneteenth celebrations, as well as other social justice initiatives by the league.

Reese once accused Clark’s fans of “racism” during the first episode of Reese’s podcast in September 2024.

“I think really his fans, his fans, Iowa fans, now Indiana fans, are really good, they get on him, and I respect that, respectfully. But sometimes it’s very disrespectful. I think there’s a lot of prejudice when it comes to it,” Reese said.

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Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever shoots over Angel Reese of the Atlanta Dream in the first quarter at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 20, 2026. (Colin Hubbard/Getty Images)

“A lot of times, people make AI pictures of me naked. They send them to my family members. My family members are like my uncle, who sends me like, ‘Are you naked on Instagram?’

In May of last year, after Fever and Reese’s old team, the Chicago Sky, faced off in the season opener in Indiana, the WNBA launched an investigation into allegations of racist behavior by Fever fans, but the league found no evidence. However, Reese appeared to acknowledge the allegations after the game.

“Obviously, there’s no place in this league for that,” Reese said at the time. “I think the WNBA and our team and our organization have done a great job of supporting me. … Going through this whole process, if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.”

Now, Reese’s latest comments come amid a high-profile week for Reese, Clark and the WNBA, as two of the league’s most watched players meet twice in three days.

Atlanta defeated Indiana 108-101 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday, with Reese posting 21 points and 11 rebounds and Clark scoring 26 points in the loss. The Dream followed with a 113-96 victory over the Fever at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Saturday, a game in which Clark again led Indiana with 26 points.

Saturday’s win also gave Reese a major league milestone. The 6-foot-4 forward became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 1,000 career rebounds, doing so in her 79th game, 10 games faster than Tina Charles. Reese finished the game with 18 points and eight rebounds as Atlanta improved to 11-4 and Indiana fell to 9-7.

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Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese leaves the game in the first quarter against the Las Vegas Aces at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on May 17, 2026. (Brett Davis/Images)

The Dream acquired Reese from the Chicago Sky in April for Atlanta’s 2027 and 2028 first-round picks. The trade brought a two-time WNBA All-Star and 2023 national champion to the Atlanta team coming off what the franchise called a historic 2025 season.

Reese and Clark have been linked since their college careers, especially after LSU defeated Iowa 102-85 in the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball championship game. That combined drew 9.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched women’s college basketball game on record.