Angel Reese responds to criticism after attending the Met Gala the day before a game

Angel Reese has responded to criticism she received online after attending the Met Gala the day before her preseason game against the New York Liberty.

Reese was at the Met Gala in New York for her 22nd birthday on Monday before flying back to Chicago for a preseason game on Tuesday. The trip to New York didn’t appear to have any impact on her performance as she dropped 13 points and grabbed five rebounds in 19 minutes as the Sky crushed the Liberty 101-53.

“A lot of people told me I shouldn’t have went to the Met Gala, that I wasn’t going to be focused playing against the runner-ups,” Reese said during a recent press conference. “And I went to the Met Gala, slayed the Met Gala in New York, came back, slayed against New York. It’s what I do.”

Reese asked for permission from head coach Teresa Weatherspoon before making the trip. She said even though she enjoyed the Met Gala, she was still focused on being prepared for the game.

“I already knew the expectations going into it, like I needed to be locked in and focused on my matchups,” she said. “I took my matchups seriously. I watched film when I was on the plane. I wanted to get back. People at the Met Gala were like, ‘Are you partying after this?’ I said, no, I got a game tomorrow. I gotta watch film. I prioritize everything. I’m still in school as well, so I got a busy schedule of a lot going on. But like I said, you’ve got to maximize your 24 hours.”

Reese also replied to the comments she received on social media with a post she sent out to her 475,000 followers after the preseason game.

so now yall can delete them drafts & tweets saying i shouldn’t have gone to the met gala & i can’t do both. I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME😇 pic.twitter.com/94szSURbEQ

— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) May 8, 2024

Weatherspoon said she wasn’t concerned that the trip would impact Reese’s play and that she had earned the opportunity to go.

“How did I know I could trust Angel Reese?” Weatherspoon said. “Angel does angelic stuff, so I know that she understands how to prioritize.”