Angel Reese has the Atlanta Dream within two wins of a WNBA championship, and most of the city is rallying behind her. But one Atlanta TV commentator made it clear that he isn’t on board.
During a segment of Fox 5 Atlanta’s The Georgia Gang, panelist Phil Kent said he was rooting for Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham instead of the hometown star, calling Cunningham “my girl.” Kent then questioned whether Reese deserved her Defensive Player of the Year award, before eventually conceding that she’s “a good defense player.”
The clip has drawn backlash online, particularly after critics pointed out Kent’s role as the leader of a group that the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled an anti-immigrant hate group.
Reese’s Historic Season
Reese has been one of the best stories in the WNBA this season. She was named the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year, receiving 46 of 74 votes and becoming the first Dream player to ever win the award.
She also set single-season WNBA records for total rebounds, offensive rebounds, and double-doubles. And she has been even better in the Finals, when it has mattered most.
Cunningham, meanwhile, was at the center of controversy all season long after she said she wanted to “protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men,” via ESPN. She later refused to back down from those comments. The Fever were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
‘Not Angel Reese’
During a discussion about the popularity of women’s basketball, Kent made his allegiance clear.
“Go Sophie Cunningham. That’s my girl, not Angel Reese,” Kent said in a clip shared on X.
And yall wonder why we ride so hard for Angel Reese these white men are so broken its never been about basketball smh https://t.co/USVHkue9E9
— Sammy F (@SammyF99) October 23, 2026
Another panelist pushed back, saying, “Go Dream,” and pushing back against Kent for his comments on Reese.
“Oh no, Angel Reese is our hometown. We got to root for Angel. All in for Angel,” the other panelist said. “Do you want to go to Indiana? Go ahead.”
When another panelist pointed out that Reese’s Defensive Player of the Year award came up, Kent didn’t seem convinced.
“Yeah, I question that,” Kent said.
“You question Angel Reese? She’s the dominant—” the other panelist responded, before Kent cut in to concede, “She’s a good defense player.”
Kent’s Background
Kent is a longtime conservative commentator and the CEO and publisher of InsiderAdvantage Georgia, according to his Fox 5 bio. The bio also notes that he serves as executive director of the American Immigration Control Foundation.
The SPLC has listed that organization as an anti-immigrant hate group for years. In 2011, when then-Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Kent to Georgia’s Immigration Enforcement Review Board, the SPLC described him as “a longtime leader in an anti-immigrant hate group,” according to its Hatewatch blog.
“Sophie Cunningham fan Phil Kent is the executive director of the American Immigration Control Foundation, listed by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an anti-immigrant hate group,” wrote Franklin Leonard, founder of The Black List.
In the clip, Kent did not explain why he preferred Cunningham to Reese.
The post ‘Go Sophie Cunningham. That’s my girl. Not Angel Reese’: Georgia TV panelist tied to anti-immigration group questions Angel Reese appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions.