Angel Reese Called "Protected Species" by Coach Sandy Brondello. Fans Cried Racism Again. It's Not New.

What happened Friday night

Angel Reese had a big game. The Atlanta Dream forward scored 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 111-92 win over the Toronto Tempo, according to Fox News. Nobody disputes that.

The controversy came from something that happened off the stat sheet. Late in the game, Reese and Tempo forward Nyara Sabally collided. Sabally suffered a rib injury and needed help off the court, but Reese was whistled for a shooting foul on the play.

While Sabally was down, Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello walked over to argue the call with officials. A hot mic caught part of what she said. She called Reese a "protected species."

The reaction

That phrase set off a wave of accusations online. One fan wrote on X, "Calling a black woman a species..." Reese responded, "ARE WE SURPRISED?!" and tagged Brondello in the post, according to Fox News.

"Protected species" isn't a racial term. It's a common sports phrase used to describe a player who seems to get favorable officiating. Fox News notes the phrase gets used constantly in the NFL to describe quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady, and it's been applied to LeBron James for years in the NBA. Brondello is Australian, and "protected species" is also a phrase used there to describe someone who gets preferential treatment. Fans pointed this out on social media almost immediately.

One could still ask whether officials and coaches should be more careful with language given how charged Reese's public profile has become. Players in the public eye do get scrutinized more, and word choice matters. But nothing in Brondello's comment referenced race, ethnicity, or anything beyond how she believed the officiating crew was treating Reese on the floor. There's no evidence presented, in these sources or otherwise, that the remark was racially motivated.

This pattern in the WNBA

In May 2025, a skirmish between Reese and Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark during a Chicago Sky-Fever game led to widespread claims that Fever fans had directed racist remarks at Reese. Clark was called for a flagrant-1 foul on Reese, the two had a brief confrontation, and Indiana went on to win 93-58, according to The Guardian.

Both teams, the WNBA players association, and Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Mel Raines all publicly backed an investigation into the claims. "We appreciate the quick action by the league and the Indiana Fever to take this matter seriously and to investigate," Chicago Sky CEO Adam Fox said at the time, per The Guardian.

Clark herself said she didn't hear any racist remarks but supported looking into it. "It's super loud in here, and though I didn't hear anything, I think that's why they're doing the investigation," she said, according to The Guardian.

After a two-week review that included interviews with fans, team staff, and arena personnel, plus audio and video review of the game, the WNBA concluded it could not substantiate the claims. "Based on information gathered to date, including from relevant fans, team, and arena staff, as well as audio and video review of the game, we have not substantiated it," the league said, according to a statement cited by Senator Jim Banks of Indiana.

Banks wants apologies

Senator Banks has since called on the WNBA, Clark, and Reese to formally apologize to Fever fans over the unsubstantiated allegations. His office argues that "all parties involved helped lend credence to the allegations, despite there being no evidence to support them."

No apology has been issued by the league, Clark, or Reese in response to that demand.

Where this leaves things

Two separate incidents, more than a year apart, both centered on Reese. Both triggered instant racism accusations, and both collapsed under basic scrutiny. In the 2025 case, a formal league investigation found nothing. In this case, a plain Google search or basic sports knowledge would have clarified the phrase within minutes.

None of this means racism never happens in sports, or that fans and players shouldn't report real incidents when they occur. But the pattern raises a fair question about how quickly serious accusations get amplified online before anyone checks the facts, and what it costs teams, coaches, and leagues when investigations come back empty. The WNBA has not announced any new inquiry into Brondello's comment as of this weekend, and Brondello has not issued a separate public statement addressing the backlash beyond what was captured on the game broadcast.