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Move over, Naomi Osaka ... there’s a new face of the media blackout.
Megan Rapinoe, the retired soccer star who never saw a camera she didn't want to lecture, is now playing fairy godmother to WNBA star Angel Reese.
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Her advice? Angel, just don't show up for work.
Former USWNT player Megan Rapinoe looks on before a match between the USWNT and Colombia at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J., on March 7, 2026. (Roger Wimmer/ISI Photos)
Rapinoe took to her podcast to gush over Reese for suggesting she’s willing to skip media obligations and eat the fines that come with it rather than deal with questions she doesn’t like.
WNBA STAR ANGEL REESE SAYS SHE'D RATHER PAY A FINE THAN SPEAK TO REPORTERS
Most athletes view the media as the bridge to fans and those endorsement checks, but Rapinoe thinks the press is just a nuisance that needs to be "adjusted."
"I think Angel is a really great example of her taking her power back," Rapinoe chirped.
"Angel was set up as a villain before she was even in the WNBA, and now she’s making it clear that she’s gonna protect her peace."
Protecting your peace is the new code for ducking the heat.
On a recent podcast with Michelle Obama, Reese made her stance on skipping media sessions clear.
MEGAN RAPINOE CALLS ON TRADITIONAL WNBA MEDIA TO BE REPLACED WITH THOSE WHO ‘UNDERSTAND QUEER CULTURE’
"I’ll take a fine before I have to go media and feel like my back is against the wall," Reese said.
Reese argued the media has twisted her words and pushed narratives she doesn’t agree with.
Angel Reese of the Atlanta Dream poses for a portrait during media day at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Ga., on May 4, 2026. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Postgame interviews aren’t optional add-ons but part of the job. They’re how players connect with fans and build their brands.
For a league still trying to grow its footprint, treating media availability like a nuisance is a curious growth strategy.
After all, Reese's "Bayou Barbie" brand runs through media exposure in one way or another.
Rapinoe, of course, sees this defiance as something of a movement.
"I think this is a great example for all athletes and all female athletes of, 'I don’t really have to do this.' It might mean I get a fine, but at some point, we have to adjust the expectations that journalists can just go up there and throw any kind of narrative ..."
Angel Reese of Team WNBA scores during the first quarter of the 2024 WNBA All Star Game at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on July 20, 2024. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
"There needs to be a quality of journalism that is at the level of these athletes," Rapinoe sniffed. "The media landscape is changing rapidly in women’s sports, and of course, the W, as always, is out front."
Bold strategy, Cotton. Demand the spotlight, then act surprised when it comes with questions.
Rapinoe spent years demanding more respect and attention for women’s sports. Now she’s encouraging one of its biggest stars to sidestep a basic professional obligation.
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If this is what being "out front" looks like, the next WNBA news conference might just be an empty chair and a receipt for the fine and that’s progress, apparently.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
Alejandro Avila is a longtime writer at OutKick, living in Southern California.
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