Heartbroken Angel Reese makes her feelings clear as she joins growing outcry over TikTok ban in the US

Angel Reese, one of the sports world’s brightest young stars and a prominent TikTok user, shared her heartbreak after the Chinese-owned social media platform was officially shut down in the U.S.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a law requiring TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to divest its ownership or face a ban, the platform became inaccessible late Saturday night.

Angel Reese, a star for the Chicago Sky and Rose BC, was among the 170 million American users affected. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), she posted about her sadness.

“My shaylaaaa tik tok🥺💔,” she posted, referencing a popular TikTok clip of actor Tyrese Gibson crying about his daughter.

With over 5.2 million followers and 127 million likes on TikTok, Reese lamented not being able to save her drafts before the app was shut down.

She also expressed concerns about orders she had placed through TikTok’s in-app shopping feature, tweeting:

“I know one thing…EVERYTHING i ordered on tik tok shop better still be coming like im not even playing bout that😒.”

A survey conducted by YPulse, a youth research organization, revealed that 73% of U.S. residents aged 13 to 39 opposed the TikTok ban. For many athletes, including those in the NBA and WNBA, the platform had been instrumental in building their personal brands.

The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, passed by Congress in April 2024, mandated that TikTok cut its ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, by Jan. 19 or face removal from U.S. app stores and hosting platforms.

TikTok's legal efforts to challenge this law were unanimously dismissed by the Supreme Court on Jan. 17, which ruled that the legislation did not violate First Amendment rights, citing national security risks linked to potential data collection by the Chinese government.

Angel Reese’s team faces challenges in Unrivaled

While Angel Reese is adjusting to the TikTok ban, her Rose BC team is looking to turn things around in the Unrivaled 3-on-3 league after an 0-2 start.

In their first game, Rose BC fell to Vinyl BC, 79-73, despite Reese contributing 10 points and 14 rebounds. The second game saw her score 12 points, but an uncharacteristic six rebounds, as they lost to Lunar Owls, led by Napheesa Collier.

Rose BC, composed of Reese, Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Sykes, Lexie Hull and Azurá Stevens, is set to face Mist BC, Laces BC and Phantom BC before rematching Laces.

The Unrivaled league runs through March.