The first time I watched The Office (U.S.), I wasn’t a fan. The show felt too awkward and rather cringey. Now? I quote it three times a day like it’s scripture. You already know where we’re heading with this, so can we just finally agree that Angel Reese is also growing, too? The better question, though, is why. Was it the “mere exposure effect”, or did the sophomore trick us into coming around, one rebound, one fashion statement, one rivalry at a time? I’d say, a little bit of both.

“I know I’ll go down in history. I’ll look back in 20 years and be like: ‘Yeah, the reason why we’re watching women’s basketball isn’t just because of one person. It’s because of me, too,” she said about her rivalry narrative with Caitlin Clark. “And I want you to realize that.” A lot of people agreed with the statement, and many more disagreed. But she had the attention of both groups. And she has smartly directed it to climb to the top. So without further ado, let’s break it down…

Off-Court, On Brand, All Reese

We all saw Caitlin Clark dominate the All-Star fan vote, right? She racked up a record-breaking 1,293,536 votes. Those are the most ever received by any player in a single year in WNBA history. Now take that figure and 4x it, and you’re in Angel Reese territory. Her Instagram follower count is over Clark’s by more than a million and a half, and leaves every other WNBA player in the dust.

That kind of social presence is a goldmine for the brands, and hence, the stacked deals…and with her sense of converting criticism into currency, she’s thriving. Let’s see how:

She Missed, She Rebounded, She Trademarked It

Call her what you want, just don’t forget to add “businesswoman.” It requires some serious acumen to turn even digs into an opportunity. Critics gave her a mock-name, “MEbounds,” they tried calling out her tendency to rack up rebounds off her own misses at the basket. Many people pointed out that it accounts for stat padding. However, it’s not really a fair evaluation because during her rookie season, for instance, her offensive-rebound rate off her own misses was the same as WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson.

But who cares? Reese never came up with a justification; instead, she embraced it. She said, “Whoever came up with the ‘mebounds’ thing… y’all ate that up cuz rebounds, mebounds, crebounds, keybounds, tebounds… anything that comes off that board… ITS MINE.” The term caught on so much fire that it was a trending hashtag within a few days of its crafting. Enter: a business idea. Angel Reese filed an application to register MEBOUNDS as a trademark for clothing and related items (Serial No. 99,234,613).

It makes huge sense, being an already popular term, it’s a pre-established brand. The day Reese launches, it’s bound to go viral. As for the person who coined the term? Safe to say… they’re probably a fan now. Apart from this, she has applied to register several other trademarks as well. They include her own name, REESEBOUNDS, and UNAPOLOGETICALLY ANGEL. All the applications have been made through the entity Angel Reese LLC.

Angel Reese Gets the Cover, Period

Not Caitlin Clark, or anyone else for that matter. It’s Reese who joined a handful of players like Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Sabrina Ionescu, and A’ja Wilson on the WNBA edition covers for 2K26. It is a part of the most popular basketball simulation game series in the world. It falls under the long-running NBA 2K franchise that is published by 2K Sports. She will feature for them alongside Knicks great Carmelo Anthony and Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

“I’m so blessed to be honored with these two,” the Chicago Sky star said. “I was just super excited…just trying to be the first of many, and have many young kids and young women look up to me and know that they can do the same things I’m doing,” she added. That storyline surely is impressive. And if you know Angel Reese enough, you know that she loves doing things for the plot. And she proved that on the day of her 2k26 cover announcement.

Cover Girl in Her Own Kicks

Blink and the moment’s gone, unless you are Angel Reese. The woman grabs every marketing opportunity like it’s a rebound in crunch time. Case in point: She just became the first WNBA player in nearly three decades to land a signature sneaker with Reebok. The Angel Reese 1, shimmering in her signature Diamond Dust colorway. “The most brilliant diamonds take pressure, polish, and time. Reebok is back, and the diamonds are shining brighter than ever.” And when its launch lined up (or she made it) with the NBA 2K26 cover reveal? Boom, Angel Reese turned it into a double feature. “Of course, we do everything BIG. Why not debut my signature shoe on the cover of NBA2K ?!?” she wrote on X.

Reebok had announced her signature line in 2024 itself, long before its launch. It was when she signed a multi-year contract extension with them in October. With that, she again joined a handful of active W players to have her own signature model. They are Breanna Stewart (Puma), Sabrina Ionescu (Nike), A’ja Wilson (Nike), and Jacy Sheldon (HOLO Footwear).

“Being on the cover of NBA 2K26 and debuting my first-ever signature shoe with Reebok on that cover, the Angel Reese 1, is more than a milestone; it’s a statement,” she said. Moreover, she has also become an integral part of the brand’s hoops and lifestyle resurgence ever since Shaquille O’Neal took the reins as their Basketball President and brought along Allen Iverson as Vice President.

Angel Reese, Front and Center (Long Before 2K)

Angel Reese made history as the first pro basketball player, male or female, to land a solo cover on American Vogue in January. She later shared the cover on her X account and Instagram stories. There she wrote, “I ‘covered up’ and gave y’all COVERGIRL.” It was a response to the criticism she received for the nature of her outfits. She later even posted, “Show up as yourself even if it makes other(s) uncomfortable.” For her, “It’s always been both: basketball and fashion.”

Basketball was in her blood as “both her mother and grandmother played,” but she was also always a “fashion girlie.” She even admitted to practicing runway walks while watching “America’s Next Top Model.” No wonder Reese’s pre-game tunnel looks with Balmain/Chanel sometimes trend more than the game itself. She even wishes to walk in the Paris Fashion Week at some point. And at the rate she has been moving, let’s just gear up to hear that announcement soon.

$31M Raised and Reese Had a Seat at the Table

Don’t get fooled by her outspoken nature and fashion choices, the Chi-town Barbie does not spend her time and energy just on personal growth. As right after helping the Chicago Sky take down Brazil’s National Team on a Friday night during pre-season, she opted to skip Monday’s practice to attend the 2025 Met Gala in New York. It is a global fashion stage and a major fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She was a member of the Met Gala committee alongside some other big names.

The list includes: Olympic track star Sha’Carri Richardson and seven-time gold-medalist Simone Biles. Even LeBron James took the role as honorary chair, and the Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton joined him as one of the four co-chairs. The committee is responsible for assisting the Gala in raising money for the Museum. And this year, they managed to raise over $31 million after raising $26 million last year.

That’s not where the list of her off-court achievements ends, but you are probably eager to know how much the LSU graduate has grown in her pro years.

Stats Don’t Lie

Beginning with her rookie year, Angel Reese was in a race to ROTY alongside the #1 2024 overall draft pick Caitlin Clark. Here are her stats for the year:

Year 2024

• Season totals: 462 points, 446 rebounds, 63 assists, 16 blocks, 44 steals.
• Season averages: 13.6 ppg, 13.1 rpg, 1.9 apg, 0.5 bpg, 1.3 spg, 39.1% FG, 73.6% FT.
• Her records & accomplishments: Consecutive games with a double-double (15), Double-double games by a rookie (26), WNBA single-season rebounds (446), WNBA single-season offensive rebonds (172), WNBA single-season rebounding average (13.1), WNBA single-season offensive rebounding average (5.1), First player in WNBA history with three consecutive 20-plus rebound games, Averaged double-double with 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game.
• Angel Reese’s accolades: WNBA Rookie of the Month in June, WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week in Week 7, 2024 WNBA All-Star.

Year 2025

As of 11th July, 2025, Angel Reese has already left behind most of the W players. She has set several new records and created history:

• She became the only WNBA player to Record 75+ Points, 65+ Rebounds, and 20+ Assists Over a 4-game Span (since 2000)
• She became the fastest player in WNBA history to record 500 points and 500 rebounds.
• She became the fastest player to reach 30 career double-doubles.
• She received the “Best Sportswoman of the Year” award.
• She joined MVPs Candace Parker, Tamika Catchings, and Tina Charles as the only WNBA players to record at least 15 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals in a game.
• She set the record for the most consecutive games with at least 15 points and 15 rebounds.

Although Caitlin Clark gets most of the limelight, and deservedly so, Angel Reese deserves an equal status in the W. The stats prove it…her social media engagement proves it…2k26 cover proves it. Let’s put some respect on the girl’s name, shall we?