Behind the glitz of basketball courts and flashy game highlights lies a different battle—one that women in sports often fight in locker rooms. A 2x WNBA champion recently revealed how harsh judgments and gendered criticism shaped her career, a struggle that mirrors Angel Reese’s own fight for self-expression. Both women have faced backlash for balancing femininity with fierce athleticism, but they refuse to let anyone define their identity. The question remains—how long can these athletes continue to rise above the noise?

In a recent episode of “Unapologetically Angel”, Angel Reese hosted the legendary Lisa Leslie, diving into a conversation about the challenges women face when balancing style and sports. Reese, echoing her own struggles, asked Leslie if she had ever faced criticism for embracing femininity while dominating the game.

Leslie responded candidly, “A hundred percent. All the time. And mostly, mostly when I think about it, it was the players. The players talked about my shorts being too short all the time. Why your shorts got to be way up there? I’m like, cause they up here? Yeah, period. Why? Why you gotta be asking me? Do you? I don’t question when players do themselves.”

Leslie, a WNBA icon, continued to explain her choice to embrace both femininity and the gritty, no-nonsense world of basketball. “If you wear baggy clothes and baggy uniform, whatever your style is, do you? But why you gotta hate on how I represent myself? I like the dichotomy of dressing up and then changing to go play basketball or playing basketball and then putting on a cute outfit afterwards. Worry about your own business.” Angel Reese, hearing these words, couldn’t have agreed more, seeing the parallels to her own experience.

In fact, in 2009, her last post-game press conference, Leslie had faced backlash during a post-game press conference for speaking on femininity and womanhood in basketball. She didn’t back down: “Another important message is how we represent ourselves as women. We need to look like women; it’s important how we carry ourselves, how we dress on and off the court.“

This issue of being critiqued for her femininity in a sport that often prioritizes toughness over everything else came to a head for Reese in January.

Angel Reese and Leslie speak out on facing controversy: Owning style and breaking stereotypes

After posting a series of Instagram photos showcasing her New Year’s look, Reese accrued a wave of online criticism for her revealing outfit. Critics mocked her for being “too much,” but Reese, always one to clap back, had the perfect response. In a post that was both bold and unapologetic, she quipped, “I ‘covered up’ and gave y’all COVERGIRL.” Reese’s message was loud and clear—her style was hers to own, and nothing would take that away.

It wasn’t just about fashion for Reese; it was about reclaiming control over her narrative. Angel’s response to the critics was not just a defense of her fashion choices, but a statement of power. “I was always in my mom’s closet, putting on her stuff. I liked to carry a purse. Hair done. I wanted to look put together. I still do,” Reese shared in her Vogue interview. In a world that tried to box her into a narrow definition of what a professional athlete should look like, Reese was determined to redefine the lines.

In this vein, Lisa Leslie’s experience offers a powerful reminder: success in basketball isn’t about fitting into a mold; it’s about breaking it.

When Leslie was asked about the challenges she faced as a woman in the league, she echoed the sentiment in another interview: “It’s hard effort and fight, and that don’t got nothing to do with being a woman or a man. You either come in and you’re mentally strong about it or you’re not.”

The struggles that Reese faces—being scrutinized for her appearance and navigating locker room biases—mirror those Leslie endured years ago. Yet, in the face of adversity, both athletes continue to rise above it, proving that true champions are not only skilled on the court but also unbreakable in the face of outside noise.