Angel Reese ’s rise in the WNBA continues to turn heads—but not everyone’s cheering from the sidelines. This week, she found herself caught in another wave of controversy, this time involving former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III.

The drama kicked off when Griffin posted an altered image of the NBA 2K26 WNBA Edition cover, replacing Angel Reese with a monkey. The post sparked outrage online, with many calling it out for what it was: distasteful, racist, and completely out of line.

But Reese didn’t have to respond alone. One of her biggest defenders came from an unexpected place—NBA Twitter. Cuffs the Legend, a longtime friend of LeBron James and an online voice in basketball circles, came to her defense on Fox Sports Radio’s Up on Game.

“I call him Robert Grifter the III,” Cuffs the Legend said. “He’s a grifter. That’s all you’re seeing now in sports media sometimes where people try to align themselves with certain people that are the hot button topic in sports.”

Jul 12, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) looks to pass the ball against Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) during the first half of a WNBA game at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

He went on to say Griffin was “disingenuous” for acting concerned after posting the offensive image, calling out the fake support that often shows up online.

“She is keeping the main thing, the main thing,” he said of Reese. “She’s more focused and more motivated than she’s ever been.”

Cuffs even suggested that a new team might bring out the best in her:

“I feel like, if she can get in a better environment soon, maybe get a trade in the next year or two and go to a more competitive team, we’ll see even more production out of Angel.”

While social media was dragging Griffin, the Chicago Sky made it clear where they stood. Before their Saturday game against the Minnesota Lynx, the team printed Angel Reese’s 2K26 cover on every t-shirt placed inside Wintrust Arena. The message? Loud support.

And Reese backed it up on the court, dropping 19 points and 11 boards to secure her eighth straight double-double and lead the Sky to a statement win over the Lynx, 87–81.

Jul 12, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) reacts during the first half of a WNBA game against the Minnesota Lynx at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Say what you want, but Angel Reese is staying locked in.