Angel Reese represents a fresh wave of women’s basketball stars who captivate audiences both on the court and beyond it. Yet, even with her rising profile, she isn’t always given the same credit for driving momentum as some peers—Caitlin Clark is a common comparison. ESPN’s Holly Rowe believes Reese’s emergence has been a major engine behind the sport’s growth, a view she shared in a recent interview with WNST: “The spotlight that has been shown on Angel, and I do think Angel has been a major contributor in the growth of women’s basketball. I don’t ever want to sell her short because I believe in that young woman.”
Reese’s supporters have been making this case since her LSU days, when she helped secure a national championship and burst onto the national stage as one of college basketball’s brightest stars. Her momentum didn’t fade after transitioning to the WNBA.
Angel Reese has translated her court success into notable professional accomplishments. She led the WNBA in rebounds in both of her first two seasons and earned two All-Star selections. Last season she was named Unrivaled Defensive Player of the Year and played a crucial role in guiding the Rose to the league’s first championship. In March, she will make her USA Basketball debut, competing alongside and against some of the world’s top players.
Even as a walking double-double, Reese is still just beginning to scratch the surface. She displayed clear growth from her rookie year to her second season, notably raising her field-goal percentage in a meaningful way.
A challenge to Reese’s star status has been the Chicago Sky’s relative lack of team success. It wasn’t surprising to see the team finish with a losing record after adding Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, but the 2025 season’s “win-now” approach did not yield the hoped-for dividends.
Reese’s influence extends well beyond basketball. At 23, she has built a powerful personal brand. Her podcast, Unapologetically Angel, has surpassed 150,000 subscribers on YouTube, with individual episodes pulling in well over a million views. She has also broadened her reach into television, appearing on Hunting Wives, voicing roles in Steph Curry’s animated film GOAT, and featuring on A House of Dynamite.
In a historic moment, Reese walked the Victoria’s Secret fashion show runway as the first professional athlete to do so. She has launched her own fashion line, Mebounds merch, with proceeds donated to a foundation that combats cyberbullying.
Additionally, Reese has helped revive interest in Reebok with a highly popular signature shoe, and Reebok has since become the official footwear partner of the WNBL.
