In the world of sports, several athletes have faced egregious attacks from media outlets. WNBA star Angel Reese is no stranger to the headlines, but in a surprise twist, she ended up on the wrong side of a false steroid accusation. In the past few months, rumors have circulated regarding Reese’s supposed steroid use, which proved to be false.
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However, the rumors have taken a drastic turn for the worse, claiming that authorities arrested Reese. Furthermore, false allegations led to questions over her WNBA future.
Claim
Authorities supposedly arrested Chicago Sky star Angel Reese for steroid use. Several posts on Facebook and YouTube revealed that authorities got involved after a fake claim stated that she received a lifetime ban from the WNBA.
The original steroid claim came days after Reese’s final game of her rookie season. The runner-up for Rookie of the Year didn’t play the final six games due to a left wrist injury. However, these fake claims wrongfully suggested that Reese sat out the last few games of the season due to the supposed ban from the WNBA.
These propaganda-based pages used her final regular season game against the Los Angeles Sparks as a supporting point. She finished that game with a stat line of 24 points, 12 rebounds and two assists in the 92-78 win.
Verdict
Similar to the previous claims regarding Reese, these have been proven to be fake. There is no evidence, nor a single report from a credible source that suggests Reese has used steroids, let alone suspected of using a PED.
The reason that claims such as these are surfacing at the expense of the Sky star is due to her status within pop culture. Alongside Caitlin Clark, Reese is one of the most well-known names in women’s sports. Her name alone generates clicks and views.
Origin of the claim
The genesis of the claim comes from a rumor made by a YouTube channel ‘Basket Hoops’. The video features commentary from an AI-generated voice, over fabricated posts of articles claiming Reese’s alleged steroid use.
This new set of claims expands on the previous false ones made even further. A Facebook page named ‘US Trending News’ posted the video which made allegations that Reese is under arrest for her—now debunked—use of steroids.
Many credible sports publications were able to notice that the video wasn’t legitimate. However, some sites fell victim to the false propaganda.
Regardless, Reese is far from a cheater of the sport and is a great ambassador for basketball. Her rookie season was one for the history books. She earned an All-Star appearance in her first season and led the league in total rebounds as a rookie.
Angel Reese’s success isn’t due to the use of steroids, but it’s credited to her talent and work ethic for her craft. What do you think of these ludicrous claims?
