“I remember when I was that little girl, wanting to look up to someone and be where I am right now,” Angel Reese once said. And isn’t that the dream, people? To become the person your younger self would be proud of. In Reese’s case, that little girl would probably be in awe because her older self didn’t just make it; she became a “brand.” But could this latest move be her way of sending a message to the league?

So, before we get into that, here’s what went down. Reese just filed to trademark her name. Yes, Angel Reese™ is officially a thing now! 

The filing came through Angel Reese LLC, her own company back in Maryland that runs all her business and branding ventures. And the United States Patent and Trademark Office confirmed it on Tuesday, October 28. Now, while this move doesn’t exactly shock anyone (because, come on, who else but Reese?), it’s the timing that’s got people talking. 

Over on Front Office Sports Today, Baker Machado and reporter Annie Costabile brought it up. Machado said, “You know, this comes a couple weeks after WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert was accused by Napheesa Collier of saying players like Caitlin Clark or others are using the platform that the WNBA provided them to get these endorsement deals. Is this almost sort of a flex by these players to sort of say, not really?”

To which Costabile instantly replied, “Yeah, absolutely.” 

Now, just so we’re all caught up….remember how Phee stirred things up with the CBA talks after that private convo with Cathy went public? She claimed the commissioner said that when she asked about the league’s low rookie pay scale for stars like Caitlin, Angel, and Paige, Cathy’s response was, “Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t be making anything.”

And while Cathy denied it, most people didn’t exactly buy that. But to be real, Reese’s move couldn’t have been a reaction to that. Why? Because her trademark application was actually filed way back on March 7, way before the mess even started. Still, it’s easy to see why people are connecting the dots. 

Because if Engelbert did say that, it doesn’t really hold up. Stars like Reese, Caitlin, and Paige Bueckers have been building their brands since their college days. Reese was the “Bayou Barbie” before she even set foot in the W. And this isn’t even her first rodeo in the trademark world.  Back in June, she filed to trademark “Mebounds,” which started as a playful jab at critics who teased her for grabbing her own rebounds.

Instead of being bothered, she flipped it like a boss. “Whoever came up with the ‘mebounds’ thing, y’all ate that up because ‘mebounds,’ rebounds, ‘crebounds’… anything that comes off that board, it’s mine,” she said on TikTok. “And a brand? That’s six figures right there.”

So yes, she literally turned trolling into a successful apparel brand. As Costabile perfectly summed it up, “That speaks to her power and her influence in the business space.”

And it looks like this offseason, we won’t be watching Reese crash the boards; we’ll be watching her cash them instead.

Angel Reese and Sabrina Ionescu sit out Unrivaled Season 2 

Unrivaled’s lineup for the 2026 season is officially set, and it’s got fans doing a double-take. On Thursday, the league announced its final roster spots are heading to the Indiana Fever’s Aari McDonald, the Chicago Sky’s Rebecca Allen, and the Seattle Storm’s Dominique Malonga. The trio steps in after DiJonai Carrington had to pull out following a left foot sprain from the WNBA playoffs.

But you know what’s really got people talking? 

The absence of Angel Reese. Last year’s Unrivaled Defensive Player of the Year and Rose BC champion is nowhere on the final list. And if you remember, Reese wasn’t just a force on the court, off it, she was Unrivaled’s biggest social media magnet, dropping TikToks, jokes, and vibes fans couldn’t get enough of. So her absence this year is definitely noticeable.

She’s not the only big name missing, either. Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu, another fan-favorite from last season, is also skipping Season 2. That’s a tough blow for a league trying to build on its breakout debut. Still, Unrivaled isn’t slowing down. This season, they’re betting big on fresh talent like Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron, and Kiki Iriafen.

As for Reese, between her new trademark, podcast grind, and business moves, it seems the Barbie has plenty to keep her busy.