Amid a challenging 2025 season, Angel Reese received a welcome boost of recognition: she was named BET Sportswoman of the Year for the third consecutive time. The prestigious honor highlights her outstanding accomplishments throughout 2024, both on and off the court, reaffirming her impact as one of the most influential figures in women’s sports.
Reese had a breakout rookie season in the WNBA, grabbing more rebounds in a season (446) than any player before her, tying the league’s record for consecutive double-doubles, and bringing a relentless energy to every game. Reese made the All-Star team just in her rookie season, along with the All-Rookie Team. She’s the most-followed WNBA player on Instagram with 4.6 million followers. She also made waves in the new 3×3 league, Unrivaled, where she led Rose BC to its first title, dropped the first-ever 20-20 game, and was named Defensive Player of the Year.
Beyond basketball, Reese is building a lasting legacy through her Angel C. Reese Foundation, which focuses on empowering young girls by expanding access to sports, education, and financial literacy. Her influence reaches far beyond the hardwood, positioning her not just as a star athlete but as a cultural and philanthropic leader for a new generation. However, not everyone is on board with this decision, as fans have criticized the validity of this award.
Fans destroy Angel Reese after BET Sports Woman of the Year win
Angel Reese had her share of achievements, but it was not only she who was successful in 2024. The competition she went up against was pretty storied, too. This year’s nominees included Olympic icons and league MVPs like Simone Biles, Coco Gauff, Dawn Staley, A’ja Wilson, and Juju Watkins. So, understandably, many fans are outraged by the decision to give that award to Reese over some of these athletes and coaches.
on an Olympic year is insane
— Rachel A DeMita (@RADeMita) June 10, 2025
“Oh now this is just ridiculous. There’s no way she truly beats Coco Gauff, Dawn Staley, and Sha’Carri Richardson? No way.” Wrote one fan. Gauff won the 2024 WTA Finals singles title, becoming the youngest player to win the WTA Finals since Maria Sharapova in 2004. During the year, she surpassed Caroline Wozniacki for the most WTA 1000 wins before turning 21 and even won her first doubles major, the French Open, alongside Katerina Siniaková. Gauff also achieved a new career-high ranking of world No. 2 in singles, where she is still today.
Credit- Imagn
On the other hand, Sha’Carri Richardson made history in the Olympics. In the 2024 Paris Olympics, Richardson won a gold medal in the women’s 4x100m relay and a silver medal in the women’s 100m. Dawn Staley is in a different atmosphere but had just as good a year guiding the GameCocks to a perfect 38–0 season, winning their third national title. Staley also won her fourth Naismith Coach of the Year Award. So there is an argument where Reese doesn’t win the award as she did not make the USA team at the Olympics. In an Olympic year, that becomes one of the main criteria, along with other major tournaments.
“Well only winning Bet Awards it not like it a major award,” Wrote another fan. The BET Awards have honored some of the most iconic athletes of our time, including Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, and Simone Biles, celebrating their cultural influence and excellence. However, the BET Sportswoman of the Year is not awarded by a recognized sports governing body such as the WNBA, IOC, or WTA. As a result, it does not play a role in Hall of Fame selections, team legacy, or official career rankings.
In addition, the award does not have a transparent voting process, and its selection criteria often emphasize cultural relevance and public presence over athletic performance alone. While it holds significant value within the Black community and media landscape, it is not typically viewed as a formal sports industry accolade like league MVP honors or Olympic medals.
“Its 100 percent popularity. Has nothing to do with sports.” Wrote another fan. The awards are also not only about performances but also more about the intangible things like cultural impact and popularity. Reese is a widely known personality on social media, being the most followed WNBA athlete with 4.9 million followers, which could have impacted her win. But it is a part of why this award went to her. Reese certainly had her share of on-court success last year.
“Was not putting Collier’s name in there a typo?? Great player AND started her own league?” Wrote another fan. Collier is another good shout for the award as she succeeded on and off the court. She made the All-Star team while winning the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year leading the Minnesota Lynx to the WNBA finals.
Collier won the MVP award when the Lynx won the 2024 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship. Off the pitch, she contributed greatly to Women’s basketball by starting the first 3v3 professional women’s league in Unrivaled, a long with Breanna Stewart. That league broke even in its first year running itself, marking a significant stride in women’s basketball. The only thing holding her back is that she is biracial and not fully African American, which might have prevented her from being on the list of nominations.
Either way, fans will continue to debate who truly deserves each award, and that’s part of what makes sports different. Everyone has a different view on whose achievements are superior. Awards like BET Sportswoman of the Year may not be traditional sports accolades, but they spark the conversation involving these immensely successful athletes, contributing to their popularity. Love it or question it, the passion behind the debate proves one thing: these women are moving the needle.
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