Say what you want about Angel Reese and her dominance on the court, but her real power goes beyond basketball. The Bayou Barbie has built a brand that few athletes in the WNBA or anywhere, really, can even dream of. Reese is the most followed WNBA athlete on Instagram, a testament to her magnetic presence and the attention she commands. And there are plenty of athletes who look up to her. Just take Sophie Cunningham, for example.

Angel Reese made history last week as the first professional athlete to ever walk the runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. The 23-year-old Chicago Sky forward shared the spotlight with supermodels like Bella and Gigi Hadid, and former “Angels” including Adriana Lima, in a dazzling lineup that also celebrated diversity with transgender, pregnant, and plus-size models.

“It was destined for me,” Reese said before the show, fulfilling a lifelong dream of becoming a VS model, a dream also shared by Sophie Cunningham, as she expressed on her Show Me Something podcast.

“Angel walked in it, she killed it. Like, absolutely killed it. And I—oh my god. I text my agents right away, and I was like, ‘Please.’ Like, this has been a dream of mine since I’ve been like second grade. I always wanted to be a Victoria’s Secret Angel. Like, oh god,” she said. We all hope to see you there someday, Sophie!

Also, this isn’t the first time Cunningham spoke about Reese’s VS walk.

A few days back, Sophie Cunningham took to her Instagram stories to talk about some recent stomach troubles that led her to undergo food sensitivity tests. The results revealed that she’s highly sensitive to a number of foods, including everyday staples like yogurt and some of her favorite treats, such as cheese and pineapple. On the bright side, most vegetables are fine for her, prompting her to jokingly say that her future could end up looking a lot like Angel Reese’s.

“Yeah, I feel like I’m gonna be kind of turning into a Rabbit. So, I don’t know, I guess I’m gonna turn into a Victoria’s Secret model…. Call me Angel Reese,” she said in her story.

That said, as poetic as it sounds, Angel Reese got her wings! The Bayou Barbie made her Victoria’s Secret runway debut in two stunning pink-themed outfits. The first one had pink rose details, paired with a fluffy pink shawl covered in roses. The second featured a sparkly pink top with a chest cut-out and a high slit, finished off with silver-and-white angel wings.

Once a major televised event, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show had been criticized for promoting outdated beauty standards, with viewership plummeting from 9.7 million in 2013 to just 3.3 million in 2018, which led to its cancellation in 2019. The show returned last year with a fresh focus on inclusivity and empowerment.

Before its comeback, Victoria’s Secret launched the VS Collective, a group of brand ambassadors promoting gender equality and body positivity. Stars like Megan Rapinoe and Olympic gold medalist skier Eileen Gu were part of it, but none of them walked the runway. Only Angel Reese did! “A lot of young women are going to be watching me today to know that they have some inspiration and know that they can dream this big,” Reese said.

But Reese’s impact goes far beyond the Victoria’s Secret runway; there’s plenty more to admire about the Bayou Barbie!

Angel Reese’s Off-Court Success: An Empire in the Making

Reese revealed she had visualized walking the Victoria’s Secret runway after watching the show last year from the front row. While she didn’t expect her dream to come true so soon, it also serves as a reminder that none of this would have been possible without the empire she’s built off the court–shattering the old notion that women athletes can’t be as marketable as men.

• Reese made history as the first female athlete to get her own McDonald’s meal. “The Angel Reese Special” comes with a BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese, fries, and a drink
• She became the first WNBA star to be featured on the cover of Vogue magazine
• She got featured on the WNBA edition of NBA 2K26
• She became the fastest WNBA player in two decades to receive a signature shoe.
• She was part of the host committee for the 2025 Met Gala
• Reese took on the role of global ambassador and creative collaborator for Juicy Couture, helping design the “Angel Couture” apparel line and becoming the face of the brand’s Viva La Juicy fragrance
• She has brand collaboration deals with Reebok, Barbie, Topps, Beats by Dre, Tampax, Amazon, and PlayStation

This is what truly sets Angel Reese apart in the WNBA. She knows how to market herself and leverages the power of social media to her advantage. Sure, the online world isn’t always kind, criticism for her on-court plays comes fast and furious, but Reese has a knack for turning challenges into opportunities.

The “MeBounds” saga is a perfect example: what could have been a controversy became a moment that boosted her visibility and influence, showing that she’s as sharp a businesswoman (perhaps even better) as she is an athlete.