“She’s like a daughter to me”: Shaquille O’Neal gets candid on relationship with Angel Reese

Shaquille OShaquille O’Neal says Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese is like a daughter to him. (Photos from Chicago Sky X page)

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal pulled up at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago to catch Angel Reese and the Sky host the visiting Indiana Fever in their final WNBA regular season game against one another on Friday. And while at it, he opened up about how the rookie forward is like a daughter to him.

The four-time NBA champion spoke about Reese as he made his way to the arena, where the Sky were looking to level their season series against Caitlin Clark and the Fever.

In a video posted by the WNBA on X, formerly Twitter, O’Neal said:

“I’m very excited. It’s my first time watching her (Reese) play as a pro and I get to see Caitlin Clark up close in person. So looking forward to the game.

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When asked about his relationship with Angel, he said:

She is like a daughter to me, so I’m gonna protect her. I’ll call her and I’ll just mess with her but it’s great. She’s our daughter.”

Check out the video below:

O’Neal, however, would see fellow LSU alum Angel Reese and the Sky fall to the Fever, 100-81, to surrender their season series matchup to Indiana, 3-1.

Reese still got another double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds, her 23rd for the season to set a new rookie record for double-doubles. The defeat was the fifth straight for Chicago, dropping the Sky to 11-20 and barely holding on to the eighth and final playoff spot with nine games left in their schedule. The team next plays on Sunday against the Minnesota Lynx on the road.

Angel Reese appreciates mentorship she has been getting from Shaquille O’Neal

Angel Reese’s bond with Shaquille O’Neal dates back to her collegiate days at LSU, where the NBA legend also went to school. She said she has been getting a lot of mentoring from the ‘Big Deal,’ which she appreciates and takes to heart.

She spoke about it in an interview that came out on USA Today back in January, highlighting the inspiration she takes from the four-time NBA champion.

Reese said:

“He’s super inspiring to me. He’s so genuine, he’s been there for me through tough times. He just gets it, and there’s not a more perfect person for me to be tight with. We have fun, and if I need anything, he would help me… and he would do that even if I never played basketball again. He doesn’t care about me as a player, he cares about me as a person.”

Angel Reese has been having a solid rookie season for the Chicago Sky, who selected her seventh overall in this year’s WNBA rookie draft. She has been a double-double machine, averaging 13.3 points and 12.9 assists in 33 minutes of play.