Angel Reese
- Born:
- May 6, 2002, Randallstown, Maryland, U.S.
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Angel Reese (born May 6, 2002, Randallstown, Maryland, U.S.) is an American basketball player who is a rising star in the WNBA. A dynamic forward with the Chicago Sky, Reese is one of the league’s top rebounders, and she is known for the ferocity of her play. During her collegiate career, she led LSU to a national championship in 2023.
Early life
Reese was born to Angel Webb Reese and Michael Reese, and she grew up in Randallstown, about 17 miles (27 km) northwest of Baltimore. Both of her parents played basketball in college and overseas, and her younger brother, Julian Reese, also excelled at the sport. As kids, the two siblings often played on the basketball court in front of their house, which she credited with honing her competitive style. Her parents broke up when she was young, and Reese was raised by her mother. She attended Saint Frances Academy, a Catholic school in Baltimore, where she led her basketball team to three consecutive Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland championships (2017, 2018, and 2019).
College: Maryland and LSU
Known for her style—she had her nails done before each game—Reese was given the nickname “Bayou Barbie” while at LSU.
Reese was highly recruited, and in 2020 she enrolled at the University of Maryland on a basketball scholarship. After a difficult freshman season in which she was hindered by a foot injury, she had a breakout sophomore year. Reese led the team with 17.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, and Maryland was selected for the 2022 NCAA tournament. There the Terps advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, and although Reese had an outstanding game—25 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks—the team lost to Stanford. Reese subsequently decided to transfer to Louisiana State University. “I chose LSU and [Coach] Kim Mulkey because of the winning culture,” she said at the time.
The 6-foot 3-inch (1.9-meter) Reese quickly had an impact at LSU, which plays in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). During her first season (2022–23), she averaged 23 points and 15.4 rebounds per game. In the 2023 NCAA tournament, LSU reached the championship game, and it defeated the University of Iowa, 102–85. During the contest Reese waved her hand in front of her face in a “You can’t see me” gesture as she stared at Iowa guard Caitlin Clark. It became a viral moment, but many—including Clark—criticized the resulting controversy. Some argued there was a racial double standard, since Clark, who is white, had made the gesture earlier in the tournament, without generating any push back. Reese stood by the gestures in her postgame comments: “I don’t fit in the box that y’all want me to be in. I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto.…this is for the girls that look like me.”
In her second season at LSU (2023–24), Reese won SEC Player of the Year honors, averaging 18.6 points per game and 13.4 rebounds. In the NCAA tournament, Reese renewed her rivalry with Clark as LSU faced Iowa in the Elite Eight. Reese scored 17 points and recorded 20 rebounds, but LSU lost, 94–87.
Pro career: Chicago Sky
In 2024 Reese graduated from LSU, and that year she was selected seventh overall by the Chicago Sky in the WNBA draft. She had a stellar rookie season. In a game against the Minnesota Lynx on September 1, 2024, Reese broke the record for most rebounds in a single season (404); however, she was surpassed by A’ja Wilson later that year. In addition, Reese made history by registering 15 consecutive double-doubles (at least 10 points and 10 rebounds in a game). She also continued her rivalry with Clark, and they have drawn comparisons to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, who dramatically increased the popularity of the NBA in the 1980s. As Johnson wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
Caitlin and Angel are now doing the same thing, selling out arenas and increasing the viewership. They have taken women’s basketball by storm and with expiring TV deals on the horizon, the WNBA is now in a position to negotiate higher TV contracts and increase salaries for all of the talented players.
On September 6, 2024, Reese suffered an injury to her wrist and was forced to miss the rest of the season.
