Angel Reese had a stellar college basketball career, highlighted by a national championship win with LSU in 2023. Now, she will look to replicate that success in the pros.
Reese declared for the 2024 WNBA Draft on Wednesday, making the announcement via Vogue. “I’ve done everything I wanted to in college,” Reese told the publication. “I’ve won a national championship, I’ve gotten [Southeastern Conference] 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.”
Not long after the story revealing Reese’s decision to go pro was published, Reebok, the brand that backs the baller, posted an ad via Instagram congratulating her. Reebok kept its message in the ad simple: “Keep Watching.”
“Congrats on an incredible college career, @angelreese10 👑 But this was just the beginning. Can’t wait to watch the next chapter unfold,” Reebok captioned its Instagram post.
Reebok announced on Oct. 17, 2023, that it had signed Reese to a name, image and likeness (NIL) deal. The brand stated its deal with Reese was its first long-term NIL partnership.
“Reebok is super authentic to my brand. They have the styles that I wear. Their clothing and their shoes, I just love everything that aligns with them,” Reese told FN at the time of her signing with Reebok. “I know I can wear these things every day, whether that be walking out of the house, going for coffee, exercising, or just having some fun with style. I know that I can always wear different pieces from the brand and they’re super versatile.”
At the time of the announcement, Reebok said Reese will be positioned at the forefront of its lifestyle, fashion and performance product stories, starting in fall ’23. Also, the brand said she will work with its product teams to influence future designs and innovations, which includes her own collection that will launch in fall ’24.
The announcement of Reese’s NIL deal came one week after Reebok named NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal president of Reebok Basketball. O’Neal played in Reebok throughout much of his NBA career and had several signature shoes with the brand. And O’Neal, like Reese, played college basketball at LSU.
In April 2023 on “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” O’Neal said Reese is the greatest athlete to come out of LSU sports. Nick Woodhouse, president and chief marketing officer of Authentic Brands Group — the company that acquired Reebok from Adidas in August 2021 — told FN that O’Neal made it clear that Reese needed to be aligned with the brand.
“He FaceTimed Todd and I and was like, ‘I needed you to meet somebody.’ We were like, ‘Oh, we know who Angel is.’ He said, ‘She’s the one,'” Woodhouse explained. “He really loved, as we all did, what Angel said about basketball. She’s like, ‘I can go on the court and be myself and I hope that can inspire young girls to play.’ We’ve heard that before, but it’s different when someone’s actually going out and doing it.”
About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.
