Angel Reese fired from Chicago Sky for steroid use?

In October 2024, videos surfaced on social media claiming that the Chicago Sky had fired young WNBA star Angel Reese for using performance-enhancing drugs – with no evidence to support the claim. The claim was unfounded.

The videos began appearing on Facebook and YouTube starting October 14, 2024, with headlines and thumbnails suggesting Reese had taken steroids. Artificial intelligence video creation tools apparently helped create the video’s narrative, script and sequencing.

For example, a video posted by the YouTube channel BasketBuzz states:

Angel Reese finally got what she deserved – a resignation letter from Chicago Sky with her name on it and a nice bow: “You’re fired.” You might ask why she was fired. Well, she was caught juicing on steroids, and honestly, no one is really shocked. Since the beginning of the season, it has given us more drama than just basketball games.

Since being uploaded on October 14, 2024, this YouTube video has been viewed more than 150,000 times as of this writing.

There was no evidence to support the claim that Reese was caught using performance-enhancing drugs. If there was even an ounce of truth to the claim, reputable sports media outlets like ESPN or The Athletic would have interviewed the parties involved and documented the ordeal. That hadn’t happened.

The claim likely arose from Reese’s perceived identity as a “bad guy” to fellow rookie Caitlin Clark. Clark and Reese were widely promoted as future stars during their college careers, but at times this promotional material seemed to emphasize a rivalry. This wording likely led some to label one player as a hero and the other as a villain. The videos spreading news of Reese’s alleged fall may appeal to this demographic.

In short, the claim appeared to have been fabricated with the sole aim of gaining opinions online. A disclaimer at the end of the BasketBuzz YouTube video read: “This video represents opinions and information taken from various platforms and does not claim to be absolute truth.“

This wasn’t the first misleading Angel Reese-related rumor to catch the attention of social media users. For example, we previously debunked the false claim that Reese lost $50 million in advertising revenue because of her behavior in court.