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Angel Reese is officially entering the WNBA Draft. The senior star broke the news via Vogue signaling the end of her college career.
Reese has been at the top of her sport since guiding her LSU team on an incredible national championship run in 2023. After being eliminated from the NCAA Tournament this past week, she’s unveiled plans for the future.
The forward has become a polarizing figure in college sports, though she fully embraced her ‘bad girl’ role after mocking Iowa’s Caitlin Clark in the title game a year ago.
The world is always going to have a good girl and a bad girl. I’ll take that. I’m going to be the bad guy because I know I’ve grown women’s basketball and inspired people.
-Angel Reese
And while many criticized for her showmanship on the floor, her production in Baton Rouge is deniable.
After averaging 23 points and 15.4 boards a night as a junior, she again posted double-double numbers as a senior (18.6/13.4). Playing into that villainous persona, she often taunted foes as a way of getting under her opponents’ skin. And it worked more times than not!
Of course, there were instances when it came back to bite – most notably in an NCAA Tournament rematch with the Hawkeyes this past March. Still, she remained “unapologetically her,” which proved beneficial both on and off the court.
With that national championship ring came a flood of NIL opportunities. Reese quickly found herself working alongside fashion brands, luxury car companies, and SI Swim.
She was able to turn her newfound popularity into a top 10 NCAA NIL valuation, placing No. 2 in women’s basketball behind only Caitlin Clark.
Angel Reese is spurning NIL for the WNBA.
Despite the $1.8M valuation, the LSU star is opting to take a step up in competition – and those major brand partnerships are likely to follow.
Look no further than her WNBA announcement!
Reese took to Vogue to inform the world of her professional plans, with the magazine dropping a profile on the future first-round pick on Wednesday.
“Of course, I like to do everything big. I didn’t want anything to be basic… I’ve done everything I wanted to in college, I’ve won a national championship, I’ve gotten [SEC] Player of the Year, I’ve been an All-American. My ultimate goal is to be a pro—and to be one of the greatest basketball players to play, ever. I feel like I’m ready.”
-Angel Reese
She spoke on her college career and instant fame in the piece, saying, “The things you say and do can change everything. I literally woke up and I was a celebrity.”
Reese experienced both the positives and negatives of her celebrity status, speaking on death threats received over the last season following the loss to Iowa.
Still, she says she wouldn’t change a thing, and will continue to be a role model for those that look up to her.
And as far as that spurned NIL money goes, it was never at the forefront – competition was.
“I want to start at the bottom again. I want to be a rookie again and build myself back up; I want to be knocked down and learn and grow at the next level.”
-Angel Reese
She shouldn’t have to wait long to find out where she’ll play at the next level. Angel Reese is expected to be a Top 5 pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft given her abilities to score, defend at the rim, and create second-chance opportunities for teammates.
With her mind now made up, Reese can sit back and wait to hear her name called later this month.