Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Angel Reese's signature Barbie doll was released this week
Angel Reese’s signature Barbie doll was released this week and the WNBA star’s comments on the product have sparked backlash on social media. Reese, born in 2002, claimed that she didn’t play with dolls as a kid because they were all white.
According to Mattel, the Angel Reese Barbie doll — which was released on August 3 and is “sculpted to her likeness, wearing her pink basketball uniform with her signature leggings, basketball in her hand, shoes, and headband” — honors the basketball star and advocate.
Speaking about the release of the doll to the media earlier this week, Reese said that she didn’t own many growing up because there weren’t any that looked like her.
“Honestly, I didn’t have a lot of dolls because they didn’t have dolls that really look like me much,” Reese said
“And that’s why I really wanted to make sure this was super intentional because now that they have a doll that looks like you — nails and hair — but also you can be a killer on the court. That was something that was important to me when getting a doll.”
Angel Reese called out for saying there were no Black dolls when she was a kid despite Black Barbie being introduced in 1980
Angel Reese says she didn’t play with dolls as a kid because the dolls were white. pic.twitter.com/50Q2TJc4ma
— House of Lowlights (@HouseLowlights) August 4, 2026
Reese’s comments were called out on social media and received a community note on X/Twitter, however, as Black Barbies have been in production since the year 1980 — 22 years before she was born in 2002.
.@Reese10Angel if you didn’t have black Barbie dolls, that’s on your parents.
I’m twice your age and they were plentiful. https://t.co/SRizwAtbUz
— Shemeka Michelle (@ShemekaMichelle) August 4, 2026
She lying
I can’t stand this virtue signaling weird stuff https://t.co/RVvr5U4Li3
— CCG BRYSON (@BrysonGray) August 4, 2026
LOL. She was born in 2002. I had a black GI Joe in 1978 https://t.co/LcLvWSOwvu
— Robert Kroese (@robkroese) August 4, 2026
This season — her third in the WNBA and first with the Atlanta Dream after being traded from the Chicago Sky — Reese is averaging 16.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.