Angel Reese was having a solid first half against the Minnesota Lynx on Monday night. Then one pass changed everything. In what should have been a routine inbound, Chicago’s forward threw the ball directly to the opposing team, handing them an easy three-pointer.
The moment went viral instantly, sparking a social media firestorm that has fans questioning everything about Reese’s game.
What Went Wrong With Angel Reese’s Costly Turnover?
The Chicago Sky lost to the Minnesota Lynx 91-78 on Monday, but one play drew attention from fans and analysts. Late in the first half, Angel Reese made an errant inbound pass that went directly to the opposing team, allowing them to score a three-pointer.
The mistake came at a crucial moment when Chicago had built momentum. Reese had scored 11 points before this turnover, giving the Sky a solid cushion in the first half. However, what followed was immediate disappointment from the crowd and fans throwing their arms up in disbelief.
This pass by Angel Reese 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/6pa8usMJov
— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) July 15, 2025
The play shifted momentum completely, contributing to what became a tough loss for Chicago. By the final buzzer, they trailed by 13 points.
Social media erupted immediately after the play. The moment replayed across X and other platforms, going viral as fans mocked Reese for the error. One person wrote, “Angel Reese is terrible at basketball, lazy, and only put in there for some reason.”
Angel Reese is terrible at basketball, lazy, and only put in there for some reason.
— Abearica (@abearicaonline) July 15, 2025
Another fan focused on what happened after the turnover, noting,“And she doesn’t even BOTHER to defend her error. Yeah, Angel Reese is done with this team. Trade bait…”
And she doesn’t even BOTHER to defend her error.
Yeah, Angel Reese is done with this team. Trade bait…
— Corey Clayton (@CoreyClayton) July 15, 2025
The criticism extended beyond just the play itself. One fan sarcastically remarked, “The cover of 26K”
The cover of 26K
— ▶︎ 𝙂𝘼𝙇𝙄𝙇𝙀𝙊 𝙁𝙀𝙍𝙍𝘼𝙍𝙄 ガリレオ 🇯🇵🇦🇺 (@galileoferrari) July 15, 2025
Others took the opportunity to deliver harsh reality checks to Reese. “She needs to get a hard dose of reality and also realize she is not a top tier player. Honestly she should be benched after a play like that, she thinks she is better than her most, very unfortunate. I would have been so pissed if I was her teammate.”
She needs to get a hard dose of reality and also realize she is not a top tier player. Honestly she should be benched after a play like that, she thinks she is better than her most, very unfortunate. I would have been so pissed if I was her teammate.
— ShareThoughts (@ChrisSoltis5) July 15, 2025
The pattern of criticism continued, with another fan claiming Reese’s skills were fundamentally flawed. “That was a lazy pass. Her basketball skills are just so fundamentally horrible.”
That was a lazy pass. Her basketball skills are just so fundamentally horrible.
— Acta Non Verba (@1Acta_non_verba) July 15, 2025
The turnover was part of a larger pattern for Reese. In this particular game, she had five turnovers. Overall, so far this season, she’s had 80 turnovers, which is the most total turnovers in the league. While many fans defended Reese across social media, the numbers raise questions about whether this was really just a mistake.
No Backing Down For Reese
Despite the harsh fan reaction, the Chicago Sky organization continues to back their forward. They view her as a key player who creates problems for opponents on both ends of the court. Soon after the Sky-Lynx game, the official handle of the Chicago Sky posted, “A menace on both sides of the court 👑 that’s NINE consecutive double-doubles for A5”.
a menace on both sides of the court 👑
that’s NINE consecutive double-doubles for A5
Presented by @MagellanCorp | #skytown pic.twitter.com/A2aVfueqdY
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) July 15, 2025
This support comes as Reese’s season has been defined by consistency and record-breaking efforts, in sharp contrast to Monday’s blunder. She recently became the first WNBA player with five consecutive games of 15+ rebounds, delivering a season-high 24 points and 16 boards on June 29.
Her streak of success extends even further. She’s claimed another milestone with 15 consecutive double-doubles, including a triple-double. Despite the turnover issue, she’s never failed to showcase her elite talent.
The records keep coming for the 23-year-old. She recently became the fastest player to reach 500 career points and 500 career rebounds, breaking a record previously held by Tina Charles. She’s also the fifth fastest player to reach 750 points, accomplishing this in just 55 games.
Recognition has come from beyond basketball as well. She received the 2025 BET award over fellow nominees, which included A’ja Wilson, Claressa Shields, Coco Gauff, Dawn Staley, Flau’jae Johnson, Juju Watkins, Sha’Carri Richardson, and Simone Biles.
The turnover problems may be connected to her expanded role in the Sky’s offense this season. She’s handling the ball and facilitating more than people give her credit for. With this increased responsibility comes the risk of more mistakes.
Most importantly, Reese shows maturity in how she handles criticism. She takes full accountability when speaking to the media. “For me, five turnovers, I got to get that down, got to get that together. That’s unacceptable,” Reese said while shaking her head. She continued, “And I just really have to be better.”
