Angel Reese has spent a lot of her life learning what it means to win, whether that be in college basketball, the WNBA, or now, the international stage. However, after adding a FIBA World Cup gold medal, Reese revealed that her greatest victory has nothing to do with basketball.
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In an emotional post on X following Team USA’s 97- 79 win over France in the World Cup finals, Reese thanked her mother, Angel Webb Reese, for her support throughout the forward’s career.
“You’ve seen me win at every stage of my life, but the biggest win I’ve ever had is being able to call you Mom,” she wrote on X.
“I love you🥺.”
She attached a picture of herself with her mother on the World Cup floor, taken after the US’s win. Reese had her medal around her neck, with a massive sign with the words “World Champions” right above them.
Angel Webb Reese is part of the reason Angel Reese is today representing the USA on the international stage. While her father, Michael Reese, played basketball for Boston College, Webb Reese played for the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, notching a four-year career before heading to Luxembourg for her professional career. She was later inducted into her alma mater’s Athletics Hall of Fame.
Reese has since admitted that she watched her mother growing up and was inspired to start playing basketball after inspiration from watching her.
“I used to go to my mom’s games when I was younger,” she told Just Women’s Sports. “She used to play in a little league, and I used to always go watch her games on Sundays. That was something that was always inspiring to me.”
However, Angel Reese’s appreciation for her mother isn’t just limited to posts on social media or statements in interviews. Back in January 2025, during an episode of her Unapologetically Angel podcast, Reese had her mother on for a special episode to celebrate the elder Reese’s birthday. Then, the daughter revealed her gift.
“You said that if your mortgage was paid off, that you would retire, or you (would) pick if you want to work still,” she said. “So your mortgage today has been paid. If you want to keep yourself busy, you can keep yourself busy.
Her mother was surprised, beginning to cry and asking her daughter, “Are you serious?”
Despite Reese considering her mother the biggest win, her recent on-court achievements cannot be ignored. During Team USA’s undefeated run to their fifth straight gold medal at the FIBA World Cup, Reese emerged as one of the team’s best players, despite not making most of her contribution through scoring.
Over the six-game tournament, she averaged 7.2 points and five rebounds per game and was one of the tournament’s best defenders. She was Team USA’s leading shot-blocker at 0.8 blocks per game, while being second in steals, behind only Rhyne Howard.
In fan polling, she was the leading vote-getter for the Best Defensive Player honors with 59% of the votes, totaling over 31,000 votes, though she ended up missing out on the award itself to France’s Gabby Williams.
Head coach Kara Lawson also praised Reese in particular for her effort, especially after Team USA’s narrow 55-52 escape against Italy, a night when she was harshly critical of the rest of the team.
“She comes into the game, and she plays with great energy,” Lawson said in the post-game press conference. “And she competes, she scores, she rebounds, she plays with great pace. It’s what you want in a player, in a young player, to come in and do that. And so that’s what I appreciate more about her. She finds a way to make an impact.”
However, for all the championships she has already won and all the winning left in her future, Reese has made it clear with her message that her wins aren’t about medals or stats, because for the Team USA star, it’s her relationship with her mom.