The many faces and styles of Angel Reese collided in her triumphantly smashing the game with a Vogue cover, posing for a story about how the worlds of fashion and sport have collided. Just one week after receiving backlash for being scantily clad on New Year’s Eve and shutting down her IG page, causing a firestorm of opinion on social media, Reese drops another bomb on her haters.
Fashion has become as big an attraction as the product on the court, and when it comes to basketball players in general Reese is in a class by herself when it comes to the WNBA’s “tunnel walks,” as her brand rings bells from the streets of Chicago to the cornfields of Iowa to the cover of magazines known for their sophistication.
Angel Reese Gets Vogue Cover: Basketball and Fashion
Athletes are increasingly walking real runways, with Olympians Noah Lyles and Jordan Chiles making their debuts for New York Fashion Week in the fall.
Reese earned the nickname “Bayou Barbie” while becoming NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player of a national championship squad at LSU and always bringing some feminine glam to her social media page and court presence.
“It’s always been both: basketball and fashion,” Reese, who led the WNBA in rebounding with 13.1 per game in her All-Star rookie season, told Vogue.
Reese, who is preparing for her second season with the Chicago Sky and also about to participate in the new Unrivaled women’s 3v3 league, says she has been into fashion since she was a young baller growing up in Baltimore, practicing her runway walk watching Tyra Banks’ “America’s Next Top Model.” She says she hopes to walk for Paris Fashion Week at some point.
“I was always in my mom’s closet, putting on her stuff. I liked to carry a purse. Hair done. I wanted to look put together. I still do,” said the face of Reebok’s rebrand.
Social Media Reacts To Angel Reese Clapback, Social Media Return & Vogue Cover
Reese shared the cover on her X account and Instagram Stories shortly after publication with a caption that shot back at the critics of her New Year’s Eve attire, an ultra-low neckline animal print dress.
“I ‘covered up’ and gave y’all COVERGIRL”
In another post she wrote, “Show up as yourself even if it makes other(s) uncomfortable.”
Overall, WNBA fans were very supportive of Angel Reese.
“Oh u ate that,” said one X user.
But there were some fans still confused by her actions.
One X user commented under her post: “Look do you, just know that people are allowed to say what they think or how they feel. Especially when you’re a public figure. Just don’t be naked then say you’re being sexualized.”
Others just wanted to keep it basketball, knowing Chicago’s improvement from one of the league’s worst to a contender depends heavily on Reese’s offensive development.
“We just want 50% at the layup line bae I promise we know you fine,” said one fan.
Plenty of male fans commented on Chi-Town Barbie’s fashion versatility.
One fan said, “still killing it!! Real beautiful women can show their sex appeal while covered up on some old skool shit”
Another told Reese to keep her head up because, “they will still find something to say but just know this, covered up or showing a little skin, you got all bases covered black queen and I’m here for it”
Regardless of how you feel about her attire or attitude, Reese is going for goals and accomplishing them.
Some leading media voices continue to criticize her and can’t believe why Angel Reese is getting all of these endorsements while Caitlin Clark, whom most credit for driving the WNBA’s explosion, is not even getting the full-court push from Nike.
It’s clear that Reese’s agents push her brand hard, and she has the energy and personality to match. She relates to people and evokes emotion in people one way or another, and brands want a slice.
Sexxy Red Appears On Angel Reese’s “Unapologetically Angel” Podcast To Talk Cheating Men
Her “Unapologetically Angel Reese;” podcast has Gen Zers locked in and recently Reese had a candid discussion with rap and social media sensation Sexxy Red, who has also been praised and criticized for what many perceive as raunchy material.
Sexxy Red asked Reese, “Have you ever been cheated on?”
Reese: “Never.”
Sexxy: “How you know?”
Reese: “God knows. … I’ll leave the man before he thinks he can leave me.”
Sexxy: “But what if he already cheated?”
“Mmm…mmm,” Reese said, shaking her head. “I haven’t been in that many relationships either, so…”
“I used to think like that,” said Sexxy, as she scratched the itching roots where her hair connected to her red and orange colored weave.
Then Reese asked her if she goes through her man’s phone. To which the “Pound Town” and Billboard Top 100 artist replied, “Hell, yeah. I get signs, I read the room,” before saying that she doesn’t do that anymore.
“Now I don’t do that I don’t want to know nothing,” Red said.” Let it just be cool.”
Looks like the checks are clearing for Reese, who is playing it anything but cool this offseason.
