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Angel Reese may have made a social media misstep when she referred to her new city.
On May 8, Reese wrote on X, “ahhhhaaa today is media day!!! the pretty girls in the RAQ bout to eat downnnnn🤭.”
Fans have been coming at Reese in the post’s replies for the nickname she used.
“Angel we don’t claim “The Raq” we only call it The Chi . That’s out of love and respect for the city Only people everybody hates calls it The Raq or Chi Raq. We don’t claim that name or them people lol” one X user wrote.
Another person on X responded with, “Ohhh no sis. Please don’t call it that and unintentionally glorify gun violence lol.”
“The RAQ” nickname Reese used is a shortened version of “Chiraq,” referring to the Iraq War, which the United States was embroiled in from 2003 to 2011.
In February 2023, the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) wrote, “For more than a decade, some people have used the term ‘Chiraq’ — a mashup of Chicago and Iraq — to describe a city whose violence makes some neighborhoods feel like battle zones.”
The NCJA article references a study in the medical journal JAMA Network Open, which found, “The risk of a man 18 to 29 years old dying in a shooting in the most violent ZIP code in Chicago — 60624, a swath of the West Side that includes Garfield Park — was higher than the death rate for U.S. soldiers in the Afghanistan war or for soldiers in an Army combat brigade that fought in Iraq.”
Chicagoans clearly aren’t proud of these rates and would prefer their newest star not use a nickname with such a negative connotation.
Angel Reese Is Still Shining in Chicago
Controversial comments aside, Reese has already shown a lot of love toward Chicago.
On May 7, Reese posted on X, “i’m so happy to be in chicago😭🥺 God put me in such a great place with so many amazing people! #Lucky7.”
Reese has also updated her iconic nickname to encompass the city of Chicago.
While playing at LSU, Reese went by the nickname of “Bayou Barbie.”
After being drafted by the Chicago Sky in the 2024 WNBA draft, Reese asked on X what her new city-themed nickname should become.
“i need a new name now that i’m in chicago lol something cute that is catchy like Bayou Barbie😭 👀” she wrote on April 17.
She eventually settled on the “Chi Barbie.”
Reese’s Fantastic WNBA Home Debut
Chicago fans will be willing to forgive Reese for her May 8 misstep if she keeps performing on the court like she did on May 7.
During the Sky’s home debut against the New York Liberty, Reese scored 13 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and added 2 steals in the dominant 101-53 win.
Among Reese’s most impressive plays in the game was when she went straight at reigning WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart in the third quarter.
Reese stared down Stewart after scoring the tough basket and running back down the court.
The “Chi Barbie” will look to continue her current form during the Sky’s regular season opener on May 15.
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