2002–present
Angel Reese News: Basketball Star Sets Another WNBA Record Amid WBNA Investigation
WNBA star Angel Reese has broken another record, but her latest is accompanied by unexpected controversy.
The Chicago Sky forward recorded 12 points and 17 rebounds in the team’s season-opening 93-58 loss to the Indiana Fever on May 17. With the double-double, 23-year-old Reese became the fastest player in WNBA history to record 450 points and 450 rebounds; she needed just 35 games to achieve the feat. Reese previously set a single-season record for double-doubles as a rookie in 2024.
However, the game was marred by racial slurs that fans reportedly made toward Reese after a confrontation with star Fever guard Caitlin Clark. The comments have prompted the league to open an investigation. “The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms—they have no place in our league or in society,” the league said in a statement.
Clark fouled Reese hard while the forward was on a drive toward the basket during the third quarter. Reese then went to address Clark but was stopped by another Fever player, who received a technical foul alongside Reese for the aftermath. ESPN shared video of the play and the ensuing reactions on X (formerly Twitter):
Reese hasn’t commented on the situation publicly. For her part, Clark condemned the alleged hateful comments. “There’s no place for that in our game, there’s no place for that in society,” Clark told reporters, according to CNN.
Who Is Angel Reese?
Professional basketball player Angel Reese is a forward for the WNBA’s Chicago Sky and one of the sport’s top young stars. After starting the sport at age 4, Reese developed the ability to play all positions and won multiple high school championships. She played for the University of Maryland before transferring to LSU after her sophomore season and becoming one of the NCAA’s highest-earning players through brand deals. Reese led her new team to the national championship in 2023 and secured the title with a win over Iowa. Turning pro in 2024, Reese made the WNBA All-Rookie Team and set a single-season record for rebounds.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Angel Reese
BORN: May 6, 2002
BIRTHPLACE: Randallstown, Maryland
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Taurus
HEIGHT: 6 ft. 3 in.
Where Is Angel Reese From?
Angel Reese was born on May 6, 2002, in Randallstown, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore. She lived in the area through high school.
Her parents, Angel Webb Reese and Michael Reese, separated when Angel was a child, and she credits her mother for raising her and her younger brother Julian. “She always stood her ground for everything, she worked super hard for me and my brother to get in this position,” Angel said of her mother. In addition to Julian, Angel has a stepbrother named Mikael Hopkins.
On the What An Experience with Lonzo Ball podcast, Reese said she enjoyed fashion as a child and wanted to do something “girly,” so she tried cheerleading and ballet. However, she didn’t enjoy either, citing how much ballet hurt her feet. She also struggled with body image and self esteem because of her above-average height.
Raised around basketball—her mother played for the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and professionally in Luxembourg—Reese started playing at age 4 and took up the sport as her primary activity. Among her role models were WNBA player Angel McCoughtry, who attended the same high school as Reese, and NBA star Carmelo Anthony, who similarly grew up in Baltimore.
Reese began playing for the Team Takeover AAU club and contributed to its fundraising through “tagging,” or standing on street corners seeking money from passersby. By the time she got to high school, she could focus solely on honing her game.
Basketball Career: High School, College, and WNBA
Reese received a scholarship to attend St. Frances Academy, an independent Catholic high school in Baltimore. Because of her slender frame—a coach described her as “about 6-3, 100 pounds soaking wet”—Reese was pushed around as a freshman and had to build her strength on the court. “I think that’s why I’m so hungry. That’s why I’m always so competitive, have a really competitive edge,” she told ESPN. “I know where I come from, back to my high school, just going into a rougher area, which is Baltimore, and having to kind of get it out the mud and having a chip on my shoulder.”
Reese, who also played volleyball, quickly joined the starting lineup and became a four-year letter winner. She averaged 18 points, 20 rebounds, and 5 assists through her prep career and led St. Frances to three consecutive Class A state championships. While her intensity fueled her strong play, Reese also received a three-game suspension during her junior year for fighting during a scrimmage.
College: From Maryland to LSU
Although she could play all five positions, the high school star was a top recruit as a wing player, combining the duties of a shooting guard and small forward. ESPN ranked Reese second overall in the 2020 high school class, and she received dozens of scholarship offers. With USC, Syracuse, South Carolina, and Tennessee also among the finalists, Reese committed to the University of Maryland because of its proximity to home and her relationship with coach Brenda Frese.
Reese missed most of her freshman season at Maryland after suffering a Jones fracture in her right foot but rebounded as a sophomore by averaging a double-double in points (17.8) and rebounds (10.6) while largely playing at the post position. After the Terrapins lost in the Sweet 16 of the 2022 NCAA women’s basketball tournament, Reese entered the transfer portal seeking a fresh start.
She found it at Louisiana State University, where she joined a vaunted team led by title-winning coach Kim Mulkey. Picking up the nickname “Bayou Barbie”—a reference to the school’s location in Baton Rouge and her on-court appearance with eyelash extensions and styled nails—Reese took her game to the next level, averaging 23 points and 15.4 rebounds. She set the NCAA single-season record for double-doubles (34) and was named a unanimous first-team All-American.
Led by Reese, LSU advanced to the 2023 national championship against Iowa and its star guard Caitlin Clark. Because of the popularity of both players, the game drew around 9.9 million TV viewers—a record for NCAA women’s basketball. Reese scored 15 points and had 10 rebounds, helping the Tigers win, 102-85.
However, postgame talk shifted the taunts Reese directed at Clark. In addition to performing the “you can’t see me” gesture popularized by wrestler John Cena, cameras showed Reese pointing at her ring finger to signify her forthcoming championship accessory. The actions sparked polarizing reactions from fans and journalists, but Reese attributed them to her authenticity on court. “Twitter can say what they want to say. I love Twitter, and I love reading those comments. I have all the screenshots about what everybody has said about me all season. And, now, what are you gonna say now?” she said after the game.
Reese returned to LSU for her senior season but was mysteriously pulled from a November 2023 game against Kent State and missed the team’s next two contests. Following rumors she was suspended because of a low grade-point average, Reese revealed she took a break for mental health reasons. “I never had no 1-point-whatever GPA,” she said on her podcast Unapologetically Angel. “I had a lot going on, and it became like contagious to other people. I just felt I was moody, I wasn’t in a good place within myself, and I didn’t want that to become a cancer in the locker room.”
The senior was soon back in the lineup and in form, averaging 18.6 points and 13.4 rebounds. However, the Tigers couldn’t repeat as NCAA champions; the team lost a rematch to Iowa in the Elite Eight, 94-87. It marked Reese’s last college game, as she prepared for the 2024 WNBA draft.
WNBA with the Chicago Sky
The Chicago Sky selected Reese with the No. 7 pick and signed her to a four-year rookie contract. She made her WNBA debut on May 15, 2024, and scored 12 points in a loss to the Dallas Wings.
Although the Sky won only 13 games during the season, Reese emerged as a superstar. She recorded 10 or more rebounds in 28 consecutive games and set a league single-season record with 446 rebounds total.
Reese also continued her rivalry with Clark, the top draft pick of the Indiana Fever. During a June 16 game, Reese fouled Clark on a drive to the basket, hitting the fellow rookie in the head. After video review, the foul was deemed flagrant.
The play occurred days after Reese expressed vexation at the media and fan attention surrounding Clark. The WNBA set a leaguewide attendance record in 2024, largely credited to Clark’s popularity. “I’ll take the bad guy role, and I’ll continue to take that on and be that for my teammates,” Reese told reporters. “I know I’ll go down in history. I’ll look back in 20 years and be like, yeah, the reason why we watching women’s basketball is not just because of one person. It’s because of me, too, and I want ya’ll to realize that.” Both Clark and Reese were named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team.
In 2025, Reese participated in the first season of the Unrivaled women’s 3-on-3 league, with her team Rose BC winning the inaugural championship. Reese missed the final while recovering from a hand injury.
On May 17, Reese became the fastest player in WNBA history to record 450 points and 450 rebounds, reaching the milestone in her 35th career game. However, the feat was overshadowed by another on-court confrontation with Clark, who committed a flagrant foul on Reese in Chicago’s 93-58 season-opening loss. Following the game, the league announced an investigation into possible racial slurs directed at Reese by fans.
Stats and Height
After building her on-court strength—she’s now listed at 6-foot-3 and 165 pounds—Reese has established herself as a top forward. The capable scorer is also elite on the boards. Along with her single-season rebound record, the rookie set the WNBA mark for consecutive double-doubles with 15 in 2024.
Here’s a look at her career stats from both NCAA and WNBA play:
College
- Games played: 116
- Points: 2,162
- Points per game: 18.6
- Assists: 222
- Rebounds: 1,426 (624 offensive; 802 defensive)
- Rebounds per game: 12.3
- Blocks: 144
- Steals: 190
WNBA
Editor’s note: The below stats are current as of May 20, 2025.
- Games played: 35
- Points: 474
- Points per game: 13.5
- Assists: 64
- Rebounds: 463 (179 offensive; 284 defensive)
- Rebounds per game: 13.2
- Blocks: 16
- Steals: 44
Salary and Contract
As of May 2025, Reese is in the second year of her four-season WNBA rookie contract with Chicago. The annual average value of the deal is just over $81,000, according to Spotrac.
Reese has been publicly critical of the league’s low pay, saying on Instagram Live in October 2024 she “wouldn’t be able to live” on her WNBA earnings. According to CNBC, the league’s highest-paid player, Jackie Young, made roughly $250,000 in 2024—compared to the $51.9 million of NBA star Stephen Curry.
Luckily for Reese, she has a series of lucrative endorsement deals including Reebok, Beats by Dre, Airbnb, Tampax, and the Hershey’s candy brand Reese’s to sustain her income. According to On3, she had a valuation of $1.8 million in name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals while at LSU—ranking eighth among all NCAA athletes.
As a result, Reese’s net worth has been estimated around $2 million, though she said that figure is “way off” and the real amount is much higher. In January 2025, she revealed she had paid off her mother’s mortgage as a birthday gift.
Podcast and Personal Life
Reese confirmed in September 2024 she is single. She previously dated former Florida State basketball player Cam’Ron Fletcher from June 2023 through March 2024.
She shared the declaration about her personal life via her video podcast Unapologetically Angel, which Reese also launched in September 2024. Episodes feature the hoops star interviewing athletes, musicians, and other celebrities.
In 2024, Reese appeared in the six-part Prime Video docuseries The Money Game: LSU, which detailed the NIL earnings of athletes at the school including gymnast Olivia Dunne and football player Jayden Daniels.
Reese’s pop culture influence has extended beyond sports. An Instagram star with more than 4.9 million followers, she was featured in the 2023 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and Time’s 100Next list of rising leaders. That same year, she made a cameo in the music video for the Latto and Cardi B song “Put It on Da Floor Again.” Then in January 2025, she graced the cover of Vogue.
Philanthropy is also important to Reese. In 2023, she started the Angel C. Reese Foundation, which seeks to “ensure equal opportunities for all girls in sports, education, financial literacy, and other areas where girls have historically been overlooked.”
Quotes
- On the court, I’m very competitive. I’m super competitive when it comes between the lines. I work really hard. But off the court, we can have a good time, have fun.
- Keep being who you are. Keep waking up every day. Keep being motivated, staying who you are.
- Every day the sun don’t shine, but that’s why I love tomorrow. That’s what I live by.
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Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
