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Claressa Shields isn’t hiding her disappointment after losing out on the 2025 BET Award for Sportswoman of the Year.
At the 2025 BET Awards on Monday, June 9, WNBA superstar Angel Reese won the 2025 Sportswoman of the Year award. While Reese has certainly had an incredible year, Shields wasn’t exactly on board with the pick, putting the awards show on blast for picking the baller over her. In addition to the professional boxer, Reese also beat out Dawn Staley, A’ja Wilson, Sha’Carri Richardson, Simone Biles, Flau’Jae Johnson, Coco Gauff, and Juju Watkins.
Shields took to X to voice her disappointment, writing: “I don’t know how I didn’t win the Sportswoman of the Year for the BET Awards but congrats to Angel Reese and all the other nominees. I just thought accolades mattered.”
To her point, Shields does have some incredibly impressive accolades under her belt. The two-time Olympic champion is the only boxer in history, female or male, to hold all four major world titles in boxing—WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO—in three weight classes. Still, the same can be said about Reese, who won both a 2023 NCAA women’s basketball championship and that tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award, among other accomplishments across the college and WNBA world.
Fans flooded Claressa’s replies about her call-out, and when challenged, Shields doubled down.
“Yes she does but who has more accolades? More success in their field…,” she said in response to fans defending Reese. “Please use google before responding.”
“Ain’t nobody saying Angel Reese don’t have accolades or she not good…I’m saying I thought the person with the “MOST” accolades & accomplishments would win the awards,” the boxer insisted. “I’m team Angel Reese.”
The WNBA star has been at the receiving end of unsolicited hate for years now, making Shields’ shade all the more harmful. In response to fans who pointed out that the boxer might just be joining the hate train, Shields denied those claims, insisting she has “mad respect” for her fellow athlete and was simply expressing her feelings.
“I’m not joining in on any hate train when it comes to Angle [sic] Reese, I have mad respect for her and all the other female athletes that excel in their sport,” she wrote. “As for my earlier comments I am allowed to express my feelings, I was shocked I didnt win, I was under the impression the category was graded on accolades of your sport. It’s ok to be a competitor.”
As for Angel Reese, she hasn’t commented on Shields’ tweets, instead quietly celebrating her win.
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