Remember the 2024 WNBA draft that changed the trajectory of women’s basketball? Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 pick, brought her record-breaking fame to the Indiana Fever while Angel Reese her bold, unapologetic style to the Chicago Sky. Add in Cameron Brink, Aaliyah Edwards, and Kamilla Cardoso—a rookie class that set the league on fire. As the 2025 WNBA Draft is headed to The Shed in New York City on Monday, the hype is real. For young stars, draft night is the start of it all. But before this year’s class takes the spotlight, last year’s rookies are still running the headlines. 

The numbers prove it. In 2024, the WNBA made $200 million. ESPN viewership jumped 170%. A $2.2 billion media deal got signed with Disney, Amazon, and NBCUniversal. On June 23, Clark’s Fever faced Reese’s Sky. That game pulled in 2.3 million viewers. It snatched the title of the most-watched regular-season game in the league last year. So when the WNBA dropped a 45-second promo video this week to build buzz for the 2025 Draft—fans expected to see the stars, especially Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. 

The promo features Clark. Brink. Cardoso. Jackson. But Reese? Barely a glimpse. Fans were stunned. And so was Sophie Cunningham. The veteran guard who plays alongside Clark in Indiana. She didn’t hold back when asked about it during a March Madness watch party hosted by Quest Nutrition.

In an interview with Mirror U.S. Sports, she spoke her mind, “Reese had a monster rookie season. Like, let’s talk facts,” Cunningham said. “If you break a record for rookie rebounds and double-doubles? You should absolutely be in that video.”And she’s right. Reese played in all 36 games. Averaged 13.6 points. Grabbed 13.1 boards. She broke league records for rookie rebounds (19 reb) and double-doubles. She made history.

She further talks about how despite the former W players paving the way, these rookies brought about a huge change in the league. “I think maybe at first people were not understanding why they were getting the attention or the money,” Cunningham said. “But for me, I’m like, ‘Heck yeah!’ Like, this is what we’ve always wanted.” She gave credit to the players who came before. At the same time, she backed up this new wave completely.

“They’ve had trailblazers before them and I think that they’ve given them their flowers, and they’ve paid their respects because they’re only here because of them,” she said. “Again, this is what we’ve always wanted. We wanted this attention, this platform, and now this rookie class—because of the amount of eyes, especially the college game has—and they brought it into the W.”

To Cunningham, the jealousy is obvious. “I just think that if you are kind of being a hater or you’re jealous, that you’re not in it for the right reason. You’re not actually empowering these young athletes and women in sport.” It’s no news that since Caitlin Clark joined the majors, there have been reportedly many veteran W players who refused to acknowledge that she’s one generational talent. One such instance is WNBA legend Diana Taurasi telling rookie Clark that “reality is coming.” Although, her views have changed (in a good way). 

Speaking of Angel Reese, in spite of contributing a major part in the league’s newfound popularity, when the league celebrated its 2024 draft class, only a shadow of her was found. 

From Draft to Disrespect: WNBA Snubs Angel Reese

The video in question, titled “From Draft Night to the W,” was posted by the WNBA’s official account on April 9, just five days ahead of the 2025 WNBA Draft. Meant as a celebratory throwback tribute to the 2024 rookie class, the 45-second clip took fans through the glitzy highs of draft night and the on-court highlights that followed.

It opened with glam shots of top rookies like Caitlin Clark, Kamilla Cardoso, Cameron Brink, and Rickea Jackson—smiling, posing, shaking hands in their draft-night best. Then the montage flipped to game footage. One by one, those same rookies were shown in uniform, hooping in the W, making plays and celebrating big moments in their debut season.

But when Angel Reese appeared? The format broke.

Unlike the others, Reese—who led the league in rebounds and broke the rookie record for double-doubles—was only featured twice for merely 2 seconds: once in her glittering draft night outfit, and another time in a pregame tunnel walk. Not a single shot of her in uniform. No highlight. No glimpse of her putting up 10+ pts and 8+ reb in three games straight. 

That snub didn’t sit well with her fans. “Angel played in 2 preseason games and 36 regular season games and y’all found everybody else in uniform and/or playing, but couldn’t find any clips of Angel??” one frustrated fan posted, racking up nearly 50,000 views.

What made it worse for some? The WNBA included Seattle’s Nika Muhl—a rookie who logged just one minute all season—in a uniformed highlight. That detail pushed fans over the edge. While the WNBA may have intended to celebrate last year’s rookie class, many fans felt the video told a different story—one where Angel Reese was reduced to a fashion figure, not the baller she’s proven to be. And the fans? They’re not letting it slide.