Reese attended St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, Maryland, where she was a four-year varsity basketball player under head coach Jerome Shelton.[1][13] Early in her career, she was teammates with future WNBA player Nia Clouden.[14][15] Due to her size and athleticism, she could play all five positions and entered the starting lineup midway through her first season.[16] As a freshman, Reese averaged 11.1 points and 11 rebounds per game, earning All-Metro first team honors from The Baltimore Sun.[17] She helped her team win the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland (IAAM) A Conference title and finish the season with a 30–1 record.[18] Her team suffered its only loss to Hamilton Heights Christian Academy at the High School Nationals semifinals, where Reese recorded 20 points and 24 rebounds and made a putback shot to beat the buzzer and send the game to overtime.[19] She was named to the High School Nationals all-tournament team.[20]
In her sophomore season, Reese repeated as an All-Metro first team selection, helping St. Frances win the IAAM A Conference championship and achieve a 24–4 record. She averaged 17.6 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 blocks per game, leading her team in all four categories.[21][22] Following the season, Reese played in the Capital Classic and was named her team's most valuable player after guiding the United States Future Stars to a 115–80 win over the Capital All-Stars.[23] She was suspended early in her junior season after punching an opposing player in the face during a preseason scrimmage; no charges were filed.[15][24] Reese averaged 22.6 points and 19.3 rebounds per game as a junior and was named All-Metro Player of the Year by The Baltimore Sun after leading St. Frances to the IAAM A Conference title.[25] That year, she led Team Takeover to the Nike EYBL championship, posting 18 points and 11 rebounds in a 57–47 win over All Iowa Attack in the final.[26]
In January2020, Archbishop Spalding High School head coach Lisa Smith was fired from her position after her private messages on Instagram criticizing Reese's behavior were made public. Reese's mother felt that the messages included racial overtones by attributing Reese's success to being genetically gifted.[24] On January 31, Reese's number 10 jersey was retired by St. Frances, and she became the first female player to receive the honor.[14] As a senior, she averaged 18.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.5 blocks per game, winning her fourth straight IAAM A Conference championship and helping her team finish with a 25–3 record.[27] Reese was selected to play at the McDonald's All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic, two major high school all-star games, but both were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[27] She repeated as All-Metro Player of the Year and was also named High School Female Athlete of the Year by The Baltimore Sun. Reese finished her career with 1,720 points, second in St. Frances history to Melba Chambers, and 1,250 rebounds.[16][27]
In addition to basketball, Reese was a member of the volleyball team at St. Frances, playing the outside hitter position.[28] In her freshman season, she helped the team win the IAAM C Conference championship, the school's first IAAM title in a sport other than basketball.[29] Reese led St. Frances to another IAAM C Conference title as a sophomore.[28]
Recruiting
Reese was considered a five-star recruit, the number two player and the top wing in the 2020 class by ESPN.[4][30] By her junior season of high school, she held scholarship offers from over 24 NCAA Division I basketball programs, including Maryland, South Carolina and Louisville.[31] On November 1, 2019, she announced her commitment to Maryland, becoming the highest-ranked recruit in program history. Her other finalists were South Carolina, USC, Syracuse and Tennessee.[14][32] On November 13, Reese signed a National Letter of Intent with the program.[33] She was drawn to Maryland because of its proximity, head coach Brenda Frese, who had recruited her since eighth grade, and assistant coach Shay Robinson. She preferred to play with a post player in Shakira Austin, who instead transferred from the program before Reese's first season.[32][34] She was also attracted to Maryland by its strong academics and the Philip Merrill College of Journalism.[4]
College career
Freshman season
Reese entered her freshman season in the starting lineup for Maryland, primarily as a power forward.[35][36] Despite being a freshman, she was praised by head coach Brenda Frese for her leadership.[37] Frese viewed Reese as part of the team's Big Three that also included Ashley Owusu and Diamond Miller.[36] On November 27, 2020, she made her debut for Maryland, recording a season-high 20 points and nine rebounds in a 94–72 win over Davidson at the Gulf Coast Challenge.[38] In her fourth game, on December 3 against Towson, she suffered a Jones fracture in her right foot after landing awkwardly during the opening minutes.[39] She underwent surgery and was sidelined until February 23, 2021.[40][41] Reese came off the bench following her return from injury.[35] She helped Maryland win Big Ten regular season and tournament titles.[42] At the end of the regular season, she was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.[43] On March 24, 2021, in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Reese scored 19 points to help second-seeded Maryland defeat seventh-seeded Alabama, 100–64.[44] In the Sweet 16, her team was upset by sixth-seeded Texas, 64–61.[45] As a freshman, Reese averaged ten points and six rebounds per game. Following the season, she won a silver medal with the Maryland 3x3 team at the USA Basketball 3X Nationals.[46]
Reese returned to a starting role in her sophomore season.[47] She described the season as a "redemption year" and regained confidence from before her injury as a freshman.[48] In her season debut on November 9, Reese recorded 21 points and 14 rebounds in a 97–67 win against Longwood.[49] On December 2, 2021, Reese had a season-high 26 points and 15 rebounds in an 82–74 win against Miami (Florida) in the ACC–Big Ten Challenge.[50] On February 14, 2022, she posted 25 points and 13 rebounds in an 81–69 victory over Iowa.[51] Reese was named first-team All-Big Ten and made the conference's All-Defensive Team.[52] She led fourth-seeded Maryland to the Sweet 16 of the 2022 NCAA tournament, where she recorded 25 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks in a 72–66 loss to first-seeded Stanford on March 25.[53] Reese received third-team All-American honors from the AP and made the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) and Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-American honorable mention.[54][55][56] As a sophomore, she averaged 17.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, becoming the first Maryland player to average a double-double since Angie Scott in 1975.[57]
On April 5, 2022, Reese entered the transfer portal with several of her teammates.[58] She later explained that she wanted a fresh start and a coach who would develop her into a stretch four to prepare her for the WNBA.[34] She was the most heralded transfer in the nation and took visits to Louisiana State University (LSU), South Carolina and Tennessee.[59][60] She took interest in LSU after Ohio State transfer Kateri Poole, whom she had known since high school, suggested that they visit the school together.[34]
Junior season
On May 6, 2022, LSU announced that Reese would transfer to their program.[61][62] She made the decision due to her trust in head coach Kim Mulkey and a desire to join a "winning culture".[61] Reese was also impressed by the school's interest in the women's team.[34] On November 7, she made her debut for LSU, recording 31 points and 13 rebounds in a 125–50 win over Bellarmine.[63] Reese posted 32 points and 15 rebounds in an 88–42 victory over Lamar on December 14.[64] She surpassed LSU's single-game rebounding record, held by Maree Jackson since 1977, during a 26-point, 28-rebound performance in a 74–34 win over Texas A&M on January 5, 2023.[65] Reese had her 20th straight double-double on January 23, with 14 points and 14 rebounds in an 89–51 win against Alabama. She broke the program record for consecutive double-doubles, set by Sylvia Fowles during the 2006–07 season.[66] On February 16, Reese had a career-high 36 points and 20 rebounds in a 69–60 win over Ole Miss.[67] She earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) and All-Defensive Team honors at the end of the regular season.[68] In the first round of the 2023 NCAA tournament, she recorded 34 points and 15 rebounds in a 73–50 win against Hawaii.[69] Reese posted 25 points, 24 rebounds and 6 blocks in a 66–42 second-round win over Michigan.[70] In the Elite Eight, she registered her 32nd double-double, breaking the SEC single-season record held by Teaira McCowan of Mississippi State. Reese was named Most Outstanding Player (MOP) of the Greenville Regional 2.[71][72] In the Final Four, she set the program and SEC single-season rebounding records after posting 24 points and 12 rebounds in a 79–72 win over Virginia Tech.[73]
Reese helped LSU win its first national championship, posting 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a 102–85 victory over Iowa in the title game. She won the tournament Most Outstanding Player award and set the NCAA single-season record with 34 double-doubles.[74] In the closing minutes of the game, Reese followed Iowa star Caitlin Clark around the court and made a "you can't see me" gesture by waving her hand in front of her face—a taunt popularized by professional wrestler John Cena—before pointing to her ring finger in reference to a championship ring. Her actions came under scrutiny, with some journalists and analysts criticizing her for poor sportsmanship and others, including Reese herself, pointing to a double standard, because Clark had not received similar backlash for making the "you can't see me" gesture two games earlier.[75] Clark later defended Reese from criticism over the gesture.[76] The incident drew attention to the roles of race and gender in the perception of trash talk in sports since Reese is Black and Clark is white.[77][78][79] Following the game, First LadyJill Biden remarked that she wanted Iowa to be invited to the White House along with LSU, as an addition to the custom of the president and first lady hosting the national champions. Despite Biden's press secretary clarifying that only LSU would be invited, Reese initially rejected the invitation and said she would prefer to celebrate with the Obamas, before accepting it with her team later that week.[80][81] President Joe Biden called Reese individually to congratulate her on LSU's victory.[82]
Reese was a unanimous first-team All-American: she earned first-team All-American honors from the AP and the USBWA, and made the WBCA Coaches' All-America Team.[83][84] As a junior, she averaged 23 points and 15.4 rebounds per game, becoming the first women's player in over 15 seasons to reach those marks.[85] Reese led the NCAA Division I in total rebounds and offensive rebounds per game and ranked second to Lauren Gustin of BYU in rebounds per game.[86] Her 240 free throws made marked an SEC record, and she scored 830 points, the third-most in LSU history.[87] After the season, she won the BET Award for Sportswoman of the Year and the Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY Award.[88][89] She received the Corbett Award as the top female amateur athlete in Louisiana.[87]
Entering her senior season, Reese was named an AP preseason All-American and preseason SEC Player of the Year.[90][91] LSU was ranked number one by the AP in its preseason poll, with incoming transfers Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow.[92] On November 6, 2023, Reese recorded 15 points and 12 rebounds in her season debut, as her team suffered an upset loss to AP No. 20 Colorado, 92–78.[93] On November 14, 2023, she had 11 points and five rebounds in a 109–79 win over Kent State but was benched for the second half, which Mulkey described as a coach's decision and did not elaborate.[94] Reese did not play in LSU's next four games for undisclosed reasons.[95] Mulkey later attributed Reese's absence to locker room issues.[96] On November 30, Reese returned, posting 19 points and nine rebounds in an 82–64 win over AP No. 9 Virginia Tech.[97] On December 19, she shared Sporting NewsAthlete of the Year honors with Caitlin Clark.[98]
Reese made her United States national team debut at the 2023 FIBA Women's AmeriCup in Mexico.[104] In her first game, she posted 11 points and 9 rebounds in an 80–54 win over Venezuela.[105] Reese recorded 13 points and 18 rebounds in a 68–49 victory over Colombia in the quarterfinals.[106] She helped her team win the silver medal, posting four points and six rebounds in a 69–58 loss to Brazil in the final.[107]
Reese has a listed height of 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) and primarily plays the small forward and power forward positions.[108] She has described herself as a "big guard", having played the position in her childhood, and can handle and pass the ball.[109] Reese has exceptional mobility for her size and is explosive to the basket.[110][111] She is an outstanding rebounder due to her athleticism, anticipation and tenacity, often scoring off putbacks.[109][111][112] On defense, her agility allows her to guard perimeter players, and her long wingspan helps her record steals and blocks at a high rate.[113][114] Early in her college career, Reese struggled with committing fouls, before showing improvement in her junior season.[111] Her shooting outside the paint has been labeled as a weakness, and she rarely attempts three-pointers.[109][115] She has drawn comparisons to Nneka Ogwumike and NaLyssa Smith.[116] She has modeled her game after NBA players Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons, and WNBA players Candace Parker and A'ja Wilson.[117] Reese is known for her assertive personality and trash talk.[118] Brenda Frese, her head coach at Maryland, compared Reese's competitiveness to her former player, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough.[119]
Reese's mother, Angel Reese (née Webb), played college basketball for UMBC, where she was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame and her number 10 jersey was retired.[3][121] She later played professionally in Luxembourg. Reese's father, Michael Reese, with whom she does not have a close relationship, played basketball for Boston College and Loyola (Maryland) before embarking on a professional career in Luxembourg, Cyprus, Austria and Portugal. Reese was raised by her mother and maternal grandparents, Curtis and Barbara Webb.[1][21] Her younger brother, Julian, plays college basketball for Maryland and competed for St. Frances Academy.[122] Reese's stepbrother, Mikael Hopkins, is a professional basketball player.[21] Her cousin, Jordan Hawkins, plays in the NBA and helped the UConn Huskies men's team win the 2023 NCAA championship.[123][124] She is in a relationship with Florida State men's basketball player Cam'Ron Fletcher, whom she has known since 2017.[125] She has described Hall of Fame basketball player and LSU alumnus Shaquille O'Neal as a father figure.[126]
Reese is represented by agent Jeanine Ogbonnaya of the Clearview Group, who has worked with her since Reese played for Maryland.[128][129] She is signed with The Society Management for managing her fashion endeavors.[130] Reese is estimated to be one of the highest-earning college athletes from name, image and likeness (NIL) deals.[131] After her junior season, she surpassed $1 million in NIL valuation, leading all women's college basketball players, according to college sports website On3.[132] On October 17, 2023, she signed an endorsement deal with Reebok; she was drawn to the company by its new president of basketball, Shaquille O'Neal, and was its first signing since O'Neal moved into the role.[133] Reese has also signed deals with Amazon, Bose, Coach, Discord, Outback Steakhouse, Sonic, TurboTax, Wingstop and Xfinity, among other companies.[134] In July 2023, she announced the launch of the Angel C. Reese Foundation, which aims to empower girls through sports, education and financial literacy.[135] Due to her success with NIL, Reese was featured alongside LSU gymnast and leading NIL figure Livvy Dunne on the October 2023 cover of the Sports Illustrated Money Issue, titled "Generation NIL".[136]
Reese has established a large social media following, which grew rapidly after her junior season in college.[137] She entered the 2023 NCAA tournament with 447,000 Instagram followers and surpassed 1 million followers by the end of the tournament. In the following month, Reese reached 2 million followers on the platform.[138]
Reese was nicknamed the "BayouBarbie" after transferring to LSU. The nickname refers to the location of the school, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and her appearance on the court, with eyelash extensions and long pink nails.[139] She credits a fan in Baton Rouge with creating the nickname, and she filed for a trademark on the "Bayou Barbie" in her first season at LSU.[140][128]
In popular culture
Reese at the Angel Reese Court in Randallstown, Maryland during its ribbon-cutting ceremony in 2023
Reese was portrayed by comedian Punkie Johnson on the April 8, 2023, episode of Saturday Night Live. Johnson's skit parodied Reese's gesture at the end of the 2023 NCAA Division I championship game and her dispute over Jill Biden's comments about inviting Iowa to the White House.[141][142]
In 2023, Reese was included in the Time 100 Next list, which recognizes emerging leaders from around the world.[143] She was featured in the 2023 edition of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue as part of the magazine's efforts to empower women.[144] In the same year, Reese appeared in the Harper's Bazaar Icons Issue, which highlights 14 people inspiring cultural change.[145] She was included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 sports list for 2024.[146]
Reese made a cameo in the music video for "Put It on da Floor Again" by Latto and Cardi B, released on June 2, 2023.[147] In the song, Cardi B says "I been ballin' so damn hard, could've went to LSU."[148]
On July 17, 2023, the newly renovated basketball court at the Scotts Branch Recreation Activity Center in Reese's hometown of Randallstown, Maryland, was named the Angel Reese Court.[149] Later that week, she threw out the first pitch at a Baltimore Orioles game and was presented with the key to the city of Baltimore from Mayor Brandon Scott.[150][151]
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