Angel Reese has become a household name over the last year.
The 22-year-old forward — who has committed to play in new 3×3 basketball league Unrivaled — first made a name for herself in college when her LSU Tigers won the NCAA national championship over Caitlin Clark and Iowa in 2023.
Clark, the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer in college basketball history, was selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft while Reese went to the Chicago Sky at No. 7.
Their Magic Johnson-Larry Bird esque rivalry continued throughout the pros while having an unprecedented impact on the WNBA’s popularity, viewing figures and sales.
Both created history during their rookie season, with Reese becoming the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 20 double-doubles, achieving the milestone in just 27 games.
However, despite Reese’s obvious talents and growing celebrity status, the ‘Bayou Barbie’ admitted her WNBA salary isn’t enough to cover her rent.
Reese’s four-year contract with the Sky amounts to ‘just’ $343,000.
“I just hope you know the WNBA don’t pay my bills at all,” Reese, who is set to earn an annual rookie salary of $73,439 for 2024, said during a recent live-stream.
“I don’t even think that pays one of my bills. Literally, I’m trying to think of my rent for where I stay at [in Chicago]. I’m gonna do the math real quick.”
The former LSU star then quickly calculated her spending, noting that her rent is $8,000 per month.
Reese exclaimed: “I’m living beyond my means!”
“I wouldn’t even be able to get a sandwich if I wanted to,” she added. “I wouldn’t be able to eat. I wouldn’t be able to live.”
Still, Reese has an estimated net worth of $2 million.
However, the woman herself recently addressed the speculation surrounding her net worth, claiming that valuation is ‘way off’.
Reese, who has just been named Style Influencer of the Year for the 2024 Footwear News Achievement Awards, didn’t offer a specific number, but seemed to imply that it was more.
“I’m able to soon retire my mom, I can pay off my mortgage, my family, everybody’s taken care of… One thing about me, I have a really good circle around me, and I think that’s really important,” Reese said.
The WNBA All-Star’s business portfolio has expanded rapidly over the past 12 months.
The rookie partnered with Reese’s, the Hershey owned brand of chocolate famous for its peanut butter-filled candy that shares her last name, to create the perfect athlete-product collaboration.
The ridiculously marketable Chicago Sky forward is now an official brand ambassador for the confectionary brand and recently launched her own range of cereal, Reese’s Puffs.
The two sides came together to partner on an epic apparel collection, the Angel Reese x Reese’s Pieces Logo Collection.
The first of three ‘Angel x Reese’s’ collection featured eight ‘Pieces’ items, including tees, hoodies, and hats.
As the Maryland natives’ stardom grew, her fans began to call themselves ‘Reese Pieces.’ The nickname came after the Sky’s June 25 win over the rival Indiana Fever, where Reese finally gave a name to her faithful with a post on Twitter/X, saying ‘Reese’s pieces y’all at?????’
The social media account for the candy brand replied, “Where are we? Just following our favorite player”, along with an image of several Reese’s Pieces, including one with a black headband in the same style she wears on the court.
Several days later, Reese wore a custom-painted pair of Reeboks by artist Marvin Baroota that featured a Reese’s peanut butter cup along the toe cap and her name spelled across the right toe in the Reese’s Pieces design.
“The fans really made this happen,” Reese told Boardroom. “This collection is for my Reese’s Pieces who have been with me every step of the way.
“The connection between my name and the Reese’s brand was obvious, but it went deeper than that,” added Reese. “My fans started calling themselves ‘Reese’s Pieces’ and after I kept seeing it on social, I started engaging with some of my fans about it.”
“I wanted to deliver something that they could proudly wear this season. We worked as quickly as possible with Reese’s to build a collection that really reflected who I am, bold, vibrant and unapologetically me.”
Reese’s portfolio already boasts several lucrative endorsements with the likes of Reebok, Beats by Dre, Wingstop, Xfinity, Raising Cane’s, Panini America.
Reese released her first-ever collaborative sneaker with brand partner Reebok on Friday, August 23.
Included in the Angel Reese Reebok capsule were three footwear models dressed in her statement Always Blue and Icy Silver.
There was also a fourth model, the Angel Reese x Reebok Answer III, which was only available to to her friends and family. It featured Allen Iverson’s third signature shoe dressed in the two-toned silver and blue shaded colorway with a basketball-shaped ‘Unapologetically Angel’ logo on the tongue as well as the hang-tag.
More recently, Reebok unveiled a new commercial with the rising superstar, marking the latest chapter in their on-going partnership.
The 15-second ad is entered around the concept of “sports being everything,” and shows Reese in a photoshoot setting highlighting a variety of the brand’s latest drops as a young athlete watches the action.
Additionally, she unveiled the Engine A, Reebok’s first court-ready show since the early 2010s, and is set to drop her signature shoe in 2026.
The 6ft 3in star is also an investor in the women’s soccer team DC Power Football Club. According to Sportico, she paid cash for a five percent stake in the franchise which plays in the USL Super League and began its inaugural season in August 2024.
“I want to help grow women’s sports and elevate female athletes across the board,” Reese said in a statement. “We’re taking over, and I’m honored to be able to support Power FC and invest in women’s soccer in the DMV community.”
Reese also has a popular podcast, Unapologetically Angel, which has already featured several high profiles guests including NBA great Shaquille O’Neal.