Angel Reese Talks Playing During Juneteenth Weekend: ‘Ancestors Walked So I Could Run’

· Yahoo Sports

Reebok

Angel Reese took down Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever twice in two days, and now she’s opening up about a viral moment that had fans talking. During the Atlanta Dream‘s matchup against the Fever on Thursday, June 18, cameras caught Reese singing along to “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a hymn widely known as the “Black National Anthem.” Reese said hearing the powerful song just before tip-off during Juneteenth weekend sparked something within her, fueling her focus and helping her power through as the Dream completed a two-game sweep over Indiana.

Visit amunra-opinie.pl for more information.

Angel Reese Opens Up About How Much Hearing ‘Lift Every Voice And Sing’ Before Her Game Against The Fever Meant To Her
View this post on Instagram

A post shared by B/R W Sports (@brwsports)

Reese captured the attention of many on June 18, when a video of her singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” went viral. In the clip, Reese is seen swaying back and forth, looking up at the ceiling while mouthing the lyrics, “Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us.”

Social media users were moved by the display, as one wrote, “Y’all could NEVER make me hate her. EVER.” Another commented, “Celebrating Black excellence in a very racially heated arena.”

After today’s (June 20) matchup against the Fever, Reese commented on the moment and explained how much the track means to her and other Black people.

Angel Reese Says Her ‘Ancestors Walked So I Could Run’

“It was just one of those moments of where I was and how it felt and how it hit and that things that I’ve had to experience over the past couple of years,” she told the media, according to Meghan L. Hall, USA Today reporter. “It hasn’t always been great, but my ancestors walked so I could run.”

She added, “I’ll never forget that. Every day I wake up, I’m very grateful. It’s not supposed to be easy, but I’m very, very grateful for this opportunity to be a Black woman. It’s a privilege, and to be in this space, to shine, and use my voice, it’s very important.”

Reese went on to say that she hadn’t heard the track in a while before that moment, but being in Indiana’s arena and hearing the loud boos ignited something in her. “When I heard [the song], it made me feel like, ‘This is for the ones that walked for me.’ … It’s bigger than me.”

Angel Reese Celebrates Setting WNBA History With Her 1,000th Rebound Of Her Professional Career

On Thursday, Reese recorded her 10th double-double of the season after scoring 21 points and recording 11 rebounds. During the Dream’s second matchup against the Fever in two days, Reese recorded 18 points and 8 rebounds. Her rebounding today also put her in a league of her own, making her the fastest player to reach 1,000 career rebounds in 79 games.

Reese broke her silence about holding the new record, telling Hall that rebounding is an essential skill. “… going in and crashing every single time to get second chance opportunities on the offensive end,” she said. “And you can look statistically, but not just from my shots but from my teammates, and it gives us more points, it gives us more opportunities. Just being able to come out and do what I do every single night just shows my consistency.”

Atlanta Dream Set A New Franchise Record

The Dream beat the Fever on Saturday, 113-96, setting a franchise record for total points scored in a single game. Today’s contest was also the fourth in a row in which Atlanta scored over 100 points.

Head coach Karl Smesko praised his team, which includes Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Jordin Canada, Naz Hillmon, and, of course, Reese, calling them “really good offensive players.”

“That combined with we’re playing with a lot more pace … I think it’s starting to catch on, the pace where we wanna play at,” he added.

Toronto Is Up Next

Reese and the rest of the Atlanta Dream will spend the next day recovering before taking on the Toronto Tempo on Monday, July 22, at Gateway Center Arena at College Park.

The Angel Reese Talks Playing During Juneteenth Weekend: ‘Ancestors Walked So I Could Run’ first appeared on The Blast

Read full story at source