Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese may have just completed her second year in the WNBA, but she has undoubtedly emerged as one of the biggest stars in the league.
The No. 7 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft out of LSU, where she had a tremendous career, quickly established herself as a dominant rebounder with an offensive bag that has only gotten better. On the year she averaged 14.7 points, with a league-high 12.6 rebounds per game.
Aside from being a star on the court, Reese has become a superstar off of it. During her time at LSU, her NIL valuation rose to $1.6 million, according to On3. The star forward has also secured significant brand partnerships with companies such as McDonald’s, Canes, Beats by Dre and Reebok. She also has over five million followers on Instagram and has played a huge role in the WNBA’s rise in popularity.
Angel Reese Drops First Signature Shoe
Her latest deal with Reebok was announced last October, revealing she’d be one of just six WNBA players to have a signature shoe line, joining players such as the New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu and Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark.
However, Reese partnered with Reebok during her time in Baton Rouge, telling ESPN that NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal’s presence as the brand’s President of Basketball played a huge role.
“Now that he’s just been announced as their President of Basketball, that is inspirational to me, just being able to see an athlete or former athlete shift from not just being an athlete, but being the president of the brand is something that’s important,” Reese said. “I would love to do that one day.
In the October announcement, it was initially reported that her shoe would release in 2026, but given her popularity, the brand expedited the process, releasing her Angel Reese 1s on Thursday.
A decision that clearly paid off, as her signature shoe has gone viral on social media for selling out within an hour or so. A development that led Reese to turn to X to express her appreciation and excitement.
“I’m in full tears right now,” Reese said. “Taking a leap of faith and launching three of my signature shoes at once was a huge risk—but guess what? They all sold out! I’m sooooo THANKFUL & beyond GRATEFUL and just want to thank everyone for the amazing support. REEBOK IS BACK! @Reebok.”
Reese even went as far as to say she was in “tears,” and who could blame her? She took a risk signing with Reebok, which had fallen from being a dominant force in the industry. She also took a chance in releasing the shoes early, but capitalized on her massive brand.
Angel Reese Quickly Becoming a Cultural Icon
The shoes are just the latest example of Reese capitalizing on her popularity paying off, as earlier this season she took the meme of “mebounds,” which was initially coined to mock her struggles on offense, and turned it into a six-figure venture as she made merch off of it.
She is helping set the stage for future stars of the WNBA to have a chance to earn deals like these of their own, as she has proven that the demand for merchandise centered around women in sports is booming. Something that could urge brands such as Nike, Under Armor, Reebok and Puma to invest even more into women’s sports.
While Reese is best known for her abilities on the court, her marketability and business savvy off of it, may be just as impactful.
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