The Players’ Corner

The face of Reebok basketball: Angel Reese.

Shaquille O’Neal dominated headlines in 2023 when his first addition as the President of Reebok Basketball was LSU women’s basketball star Angel Reese.

It’s 2 years later, and now, the deal looks like a smash hit.

This deal isn’t just an anomaly; it’s the foundation for the future.

The Value of Women Athletes in Branding is Getting Recognized

If you search Reebok’s website and go to the women’s shoes section, there is one category that sits atop any other. It’s not running, it’s not basketball, and it’s not even classics. It’s Reebok x Angel Reese.

This should come as no surprise because when Reese’s shoes released in September 2025, they “sold out within minutes.” (Benson 2025).

The instant success of Angel’s signature shoe highlights the massive opportunity costs brands have incurred by historically overlooking women athletes. Up until 2022, there had been an 11-year gap in the release of a signature shoe for WNBA players. (Rodriguez & Servantes, 2025)

Now, with powers like the approval of NIL, the increased investment in women’s sports, social media, and more advocacy, the popularity of women’s sports has skyrocketed.

For reference, in 2022, the WNBA averaged 5,646 fans, and in its most recent season, 2025, the league averaged 11,148 fans per game. The league even had to relocate 15 games to bigger arenas to account for the incredible demand.

These figures represent popularity; they represent value.

Reebok recognized Angel Reese’s value, setting the precedent for brands to follow.

A Strong Personal Brand is Essential

Think of a popular current NFL quarterback, and guess whether they or Angel Reese have more followers on Instagram…

Well, unless you thought of Patrick Mahomes or Russell Wilson, then the answer is Angel Reese.

Angel Reese has amassed 5.2 million followers on Instagram. That’s more than athletes like Joe Burrow, Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau, Connor McDavid, Donovan Mitchell, Shedeur Sanders, and even Lamar Jackson.

In an internet-dominant era, social media followers aren’t just a number; they are the new currency of marketability.

When Angel Reese posts a picture wearing her shoes, millions of eyes worldwide are instantly on them.

Despite having 6 players selected before her in the WNBA draft, she was one of 2 to receive her signature line… Meaning draft stock does not equal brand value.

While Angel Reese was an excellent college player and a national champion, and has gone on to become a WNBA All-Star, All-Rookie, and Rebounding Leader, her personal brand supported her being the signature athlete over her counterparts.

She has transcended the role of a traditional athlete to become a cultural icon.

With the success of her shoe, Reebok’s formula will certainly be followed. Brands will flock towards athletes with followers, popularity, and a personal brand.

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“Rivalries” Fuel Marketing

The other player from Angel Reese’s draft class to receive a signature shoe was none other than the player she’s compared to most: Caitlin Clark.

In 2023, when Angel Reese’s LSU Tigers matched up against Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes in the national championship game, the NCAA Women’s Basketball viewership record was shattered, as 12.6 million viewers tuned in.

In an iconic moment towards the end of the game, Angel pointed to her ring finger in front of Caitlin. While people like Dave Portnoy used that gesture to scrutinize Angel, both she and Caitlin have repeatedly expressed their support for each other. (Dozier 2025).

Just because they are competitors on the court does not mean they view each other as a rivalry fueled by hate.

Nonetheless, the internet has created a rivalry amongst itself, and maybe it’s for the best, since it keeps their names in the headlines constantly.

For example, even when Caitlin Clark and Nike put a billboard in Chicago, where Angel’s team is located, fans took the matter to social media. (Marca 2025).

A simple Instagram search for “Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark” yields an endless stream of highlights and interviews, with individual videos routinely garnering millions of views.

So whether the rivalry is real or not, it’s clear their relationship equals headlines, and it equals free marketing.

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The Deal Could Change Shoe Culture

For nearly 20 years, Reebok basketball was dead. A division that was built on icons like Shaq and Allen Iverson in the 90s and early 2000s became obsolete once Adidas acquired the company. (Sole Retriever 2025).

Now, the Reebok basketball division is making a comeback. Powered by Angel Reese.

What could be classified as a risky deal on both sides has become a dream partnership.

Reebok chose to be the first major athletic brand to center its basketball division around a woman athlete; Angel Reese turned down a deal from Nike, a much more prominent basketball company currently.

Reebok’s strategy was a textbook “blue ocean” strategy, meaning instead of trying to beat Nike and Adidas at their games, Reebok chose a new market. Reebok didn’t try to bet on the next unicorn in the NBA draft using film and analytics. They made a women’s player with massive popularity and an authentic personality their face.

Instead of trying to outspend Nike for every top scorer, they identified a gap in the market: cultural impact over pure performance stats. While Nike’s roster is crowded with professional champions, Reebok offered Reese something Nike couldn’t: the chance to be the face of a brand’s revival. It wasn’t just a sponsorship; it was a vacancy for a Creative Director of culture.

By making a woman the face of the franchise, Reebok redefined its legacy. The sold-out success of the Angel Reese 1s cements a partnership built on a simple, profitable truth: let the athlete be unapologetically herself. The result is a signature line that is as bold, distinct, and authentic as Reese herself.

With products like her iconic single leg sleeve and the “Mebounds” pink colorway, Reebok embraces Angel Reese.

As the host of her show Unapologetically Angel, she does not hold back on who she is. Embracing “Mebounds” shows this. When the internet created the term mebounds, referring to Angel rebounding her missed shots, she took it one step further and trademarked the term. Now, she’s profiting off of it.

Reese represents the shift from “athlete endorser” to “athlete proprietor.” Unlike the athletes of the 90s who simply cashed royalty checks, Reese is building a diversified portfolio that includes media ownership (via her podcast network) and intellectual property rights. She is utilizing the Reebok deal not as her endpoint, but as the anchor capital for her broader business enterprise.

Angel Reese’s deal with Reebok is more than just a contract. It’s a partnership. A partnership built on authenticity, culture, and sport.

Angel Reese isn’t just reviving Reebok Basketball; she’s showing brands what the next generation of athletes will demand.

References

Benson, P. (2024, October 24). Angel Reese Inks New Multi-Year Signature Sneaker Deal With Reebok. Sports Illustrated. https://www.si.com/fannation/sneakers/news/angel-reese-inks-new-multi-year-signature-sneaker-deal-with-reebok

Benson, P. (2025, November 11). Angel Reese’s Sold-Out Reebok Sneakers Are Restocking Online. Sports Illustrated. https://www.si.com/fannation/sneakers/news/angel-reese-sold-out-reebok-sneakers-restocking-online

Sauertieg, C.(2024, May 4). Angel Reese Explains Decision To Spurn Nike In Favor Of Reebok Endorsement Deal. Bro Bible. https://brobible.com/sports/article/angel-reese-explains-decision-nike-reebok-deal/

Broughton, D. (2025, September 12). Relocating high-demand games pushes WNBA to new attendance highs. Sports Business Journal. https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2025/09/12/relocating-high-demand-games-pushes-wnba-to-new-attendance-highs/

Dozier, E. (2025, May 17). Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese beef history, explained: What WNBA rivals have said since 2023 NCAA championship. The Sporting News. https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/caitlin-clark-angel-reese-beef-history-explained-iowa-lsu/e73dd26ee42cb1928ed9ef51

Dugandzic, M. (2025, October 11). Dave Portnoy reveals why he started hating on Angel Reese. Basketball Network. https://www.basketballnetwork.net/latest-news/dave-portnoy-reveals-why-he-started-hating-on-angel-reese

Gupta, N. (2025, September 17). Sky’s Angel Reese Reacts to WNBA Rebound Leader Trophy. Sports Illustrated. https://www.si.com/wnba/sky/news/chicago-sky-angel-reese-reacts-wnba-rebound-leader-trophy

Hall, M. (2025, June 16). Angel Reese brilliantly trademarked ‘mebounds’ in response to hate. For The Win. https://ftw.usatoday.com/story/sports/wnba/2025/06/16/angel-reese-mebounds-trademark-hate/84232832007/

Marca. (2025, February 14). Caitlin Clark’s provocation of Angel Reese through a Nike advertising campaign in Chicago. https://www.marca.com/en/basketball/wnba/2025/02/14/67afb8f7268e3e79458b45ca.html

Peters, A. (2024, April 15). 2024 WNBA Draft Results: Complete Round-by-Round Selections and Twitter Reaction https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10116951-2024-wnba-draft-results-complete-round-by-round-selections-and-twitter-reaction

Pro Football Network. (2025, August 19). Sky Star Angel Reese Reveals 1 Major Goal for Her Reebok Signature Shoe After Witnessing Michael Jordan’s Greatness. https://www.profootballnetwork.com/wnba/sky-star-angel-reese-major-goal-for-reebok-signature-shoe-michael-jordans-greatness/

Reebok. (n.d.). Angel Reese collection. Retrieved December 23, 2025, from https://www.reebok.com/collections/angel-reese?current=2

Rodriguez, K., & Servantes, I. (2025, July 18). Here’s Every WNBA Player Who’s Ever Had — or Will Soon Have — a Signature Sneaker: Dawn Staley, Sabrina Ionescu, A’ja Wilson + More. WWD. https://wwd.com/footwear-news/sneaker-news/feature/wnba-signature-sneaker-shoe-history-1237986478/

Schwarb, E. (2025, May 28). The NFL’s Social Media Stars: The Top Five Most Followed Players. Verge. https://vergemagazine.co.uk/the-nfls-social-media-stars-the-top-five-most-followed-players/

Sole Retriever. (2025, June 13). Can Reebok Basketball Actually Make a Comeback? https://www.soleretriever.com/news/articles/can-reebok-basketball-actually-make-a-comeback

Tracey, D. (2025, May 21). The boom in WNBA popularity. OLBG. https://stacker.com/stories/basketball/boom-wnba-popularity