Angel Reese Bio
Angel Reese (born May 6, 2002) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). A forward listed at 6 feet 3 inches tall, she previously played for Rose BC of the Unrivaled basketball league, a 3-on-3 circuit co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. Nicknamed “Bayou Barbie” and “Chi Barbie,” Reese played college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins and the LSU Tigers, leading the latter to a national championship in 2023.
Reese is recognized as one of the most influential players of her generation, known for her rebounding, on-court confidence, and crossover presence in fashion and media. Beyond basketball, she has built partnerships with major brands, launched a foundation focused on youth empowerment, and expanded her profile into modeling, podcasting, and sports ownership.
Early Life and Background
Angel Reese was born on May 6, 2002, in Randallstown, Maryland, to Angel and Michael Reese. She learned how to play basketball from her mother at a young age and grew up playing against her brother, Julian, in their driveway. Reese competed in a recreational league in Baltimore County, where her mother also played, and quickly emerged as one of the best players in the area, often competing above her age group and on boys’ teams.
Reese played the point guard position before two growth spurts transformed her frame by her first year of high school. In addition to basketball, she took part in ballet, gymnastics, swimming, and track during her childhood. She often attended Washington Mystics games and drew inspiration from WNBA players Candace Parker and Maya Moore, as well as former National Basketball Association (NBA) player and Baltimore native Muggsy Bogues. With Team Takeover, a Washington, D.C.-based Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) program in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, she was coached by Ron James.
Path to Basketball
Reese attended Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore, Maryland, where she became a four-year varsity player under head coach Jerome Shelton. She was a five-star recruit, ranked the number two player and the top wing in the 2020 class by ESPN, and earned McDonald’s All-American honors in 2020. By her junior season, she held offers from more than 24 NCAA Division I programs, including Maryland, South Carolina, and Louisville.
On November 1, 2019, she announced her commitment to Maryland, becoming the highest-ranked recruit in program history, and signed a National Letter of Intent on November 13. She joined the Terrapins drawn by their proximity to home and by head coach Brenda Frese, who had recruited her since eighth grade.
Angel Reese Career
Freshman and Sophomore Seasons at Maryland (2020–2022)
Reese entered her freshman season in the starting lineup for Maryland and made her debut on November 27, 2020, recording 20 points and nine rebounds against Davidson. In her fourth game, she suffered a Jones fracture in her right foot and was sidelined until late February 2021. Despite the injury, she helped Maryland win Big Ten regular season and tournament titles and was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
As a sophomore, Reese returned to a starting role and described the season as a “redemption year.” She posted a 26-point, 15-rebound performance against Miami and a 25-point, 13-rebound game against Iowa. She earned first-team All-Big Ten and All-Defensive Team honors, led Maryland to the Sweet 16, and received third-team All-American recognition from the Associated Press. On April 5, 2022, she entered the transfer portal.
LSU Era and National Championship (2022–2024)
On May 6, 2022, LSU announced that Reese would transfer to the program, citing her trust in head coach Kim Mulkey and a desire to join a winning culture. She debuted on November 7, 2022, with 31 points and 13 rebounds against Bellarmine and broke LSU’s long-standing single-game rebounding record in January 2023 with a 26-point, 28-rebound performance against Texas A&M. By the end of the regular season, she had surpassed the program record for consecutive double-doubles, previously set by Sylvia Fowles.
Reese led LSU to its first national championship in 2023, posting 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in the 102–85 title game victory over Iowa. She won the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award and set the NCAA single-season record with 34 double-doubles. She was a unanimous first-team All-American, won the BET Award for Sportswoman of the Year and the Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY Award, and was a unanimous SEC Player of the Year as a senior before declaring for the 2024 WNBA draft.
Chicago Sky Rookie Season (2024)
Reese was selected as the seventh overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky and made her professional debut on May 15, 2024, recording 12 points and eight rebounds against the Dallas Wings. She quickly established herself as a rebounding force, registering her seventh consecutive double-double on June 20 and surpassing Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks for the longest single-season double-double streak in WNBA history by June 30.
Reese was named WNBA Rookie of the Month for June and was selected to the WNBA All-Star Game, where she became the first rookie to record a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. On September 1, she broke the WNBA single-season rebounding record held by Sylvia Fowles, finishing her rookie year with averages of 13.6 points and a league-record 13.1 rebounds per game before a hairline wrist fracture ended her season on September 6.
Unrivaled and Chicago Sky Sophomore Season (2025)
On July 24, 2024, it was announced that Reese would play in the inaugural season of Unrivaled. She debuted for Rose BC on January 17, 2025, scoring the franchise’s first points and recording a double-double. She later became the first player in league history to record a 20-20 game with 22 points and 21 rebounds. For the 2025 season, she was named to the All-Unrivaled Second Team and earned Defensive Player of the Year honors, and Rose won the first Unrivaled championship.
Returning to the Sky, Reese surpassed Tina Charles as the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 500 points and 500 rebounds, accomplishing the feat in 38 games. She also became the fastest forward and third-fastest player in league history to record a triple-double, finishing with 11 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks against the Connecticut Sun. Despite a back injury that limited her to 30 games, she ended the season leading the league in rebounds per game for the second consecutive year, averaging 14.7 points and 12.6 rebounds.
Driving Style and Strengths
Reese plays with the mobility of a guard despite her 6-foot-3 frame, excelling at attacking the basket, crashing the offensive glass, and converting putbacks. Her rebounding is rooted in anticipation, athleticism, and tenacity, and on defense her long wingspan enables her to record steals and blocks at a high rate. She has modeled her game after Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, Candace Parker, and A’ja Wilson, and is known for her assertiveness and trash talk on the floor.
Notable Events and Milestones
Reese’s 2023 NCAA championship celebration, including the “you can’t see me” gesture directed at Caitlin Clark, became a defining moment in her public profile. She broke the WNBA single-season rebounding record in 2024, set a league record for the longest double-double streak, and became the first female athlete to have a meal named after her by McDonald’s in February 2025. Her signature shoe, the “Angel Reese 1” with Reebok, debuted in July 2025 and was released in September 2025.
Angel Reese Career Wins
Reese has compiled an impressive list of team and individual achievements across the AAU, high school, collegiate, and professional ranks. She won four straight IAAM A Conference titles at Saint Frances Academy, led Team Takeover to the Nike EYBL championship in 2019, and captured the 2023 NCAA championship with LSU. In the WNBA, she has earned two All-Star selections and was named to the All-Rookie Team in 2024.
College and Professional Highlights
At Maryland, Reese became the first Terrapin to average a double-double since 1975, and at LSU she set the NCAA single-season record with 34 double-doubles in 2023. As a professional, she set the WNBA single-season rebounding record with 13.1 boards per game in her rookie year and led the league in rebounding again in 2025. She also helped Rose BC win the inaugural Unrivaled championship in 2025.
Other Wins and Performances
Reese helped the United States win a silver medal at the 2023 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup in Mexico, posting four points and six rebounds in the final against Brazil. In AAU play, she guided Team Takeover to the 2019 Nike EYBL championship with 18 points and 11 rebounds in the title game, and she won the Corbett Award as the top female amateur athlete in Louisiana after her junior season at LSU.
Angel Reese Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Reese’s mother, Angel Reese (née Webb), played college basketball for UMBC, where she was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame and had her number 10 jersey retired, and later played professionally in Luxembourg. Her father, Michael Reese, played basketball for Boston College and Loyola (Maryland) and also played professionally in Luxembourg, Cyprus, Austria, and Portugal. Reese was raised by her mother and maternal grandparents, Curtis and Barbara Webb.
Personal Life
Reese’s younger brother, Julian, played college basketball for Maryland and competed for Saint Frances Academy. Her stepbrother, Mikael Hopkins, is a professional basketball player, and her cousin, Jordan Hawkins, plays in the NBA and helped the UConn Huskies men’s team win the 2023 NCAA championship. Reese majored in interdisciplinary studies at Louisiana State University, with concentrations and minors in Communication Studies, Leadership Development, and Psychology, and has expressed interest in broadcasting and modeling after her basketball career. She founded the Angel C. Reese Foundation in 2023 to empower girls through sports, education, and financial literacy, and has remained active in community initiatives in Randallstown, Baltimore, and Baton Rouge.
2025 Season Performance
Angel Reese’s 2025 campaign began in January with the inaugural Unrivaled season, where she starred for Rose BC and helped the club capture the league’s first championship while earning Defensive Player of the Year and All-Unrivaled Second Team honors. Her early professional success carried over into the WNBA season, where she continued to produce at an elite level with the Chicago Sky despite a back injury that limited her to 30 regular season games. She ended the year as the league’s leading rebounder for the second straight season.
Reese’s individual milestones underscored her growing stature, including becoming the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 500 points and 500 rebounds and recording a triple-double against the Connecticut Sun. Her activity off the court also expanded, with the debut of the “Angel Reese 1” Reebok signature shoe, a co-cover appearance on NBA 2K26, and a featured walk in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2025. Entering 2026, she remains central to the Sky’s plans as the franchise builds around her rebounding and leadership.