The Broader Athletic Response
Reese was far from the only sports figure to react. The shooting, the second fatal incident involving federal agents in Minneapolis in January 2026, prompted widespread responses from across the sports world:
- Solidarity Among WNBA Players: Fellow WNBA star Breanna Stewart posted a photo on Instagram holding a sign that read “Abolish ICE.” Stewart’s Chicago Sky teammate Angel Reese and a WNBA trainer both commented on the post with emojis in apparent support.
- NBA Community Reactions: The NBA Players Association released a statement saying players “can no longer remain silent” and must “stand in solidarity with the people in Minnesota protesting and risking their lives to demand justice”.
What Happened: Conflicting Narratives
The shooting occurred on Saturday, January 24, 2026, during a federal immigration enforcement operation. A Border Patrol agent shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center.
What Reese’s Statement Means
Angel Reese’s decision to post, “Praying for our country,” aligns with a long tradition of athletes using their platforms to comment on social and political issues, though her message was more generalized than the direct statements from Haliburton or Stewart.
Coming from a prominent young star who has been politically vocal in the past she publicly expressed disappointment after the 2024 presidential election the post signals her engagement with the national tension surrounding these events.
I hope this overview provides the context you were looking for. Given the major sports-related repercussions, such as the NBA game postponement, would you be interested in a deeper look at how the league and its teams are navigating this situation?