WNBA draft picks join the league in style
The WNBA draft welcomed talented athletes like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese to the top level of the sport.
Chicago Sky power forward Angel Reese, currently locked in a tight battle for the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award with Indiana fever star guard Caitlin Clark, has distinguished herself from her rival in another way: Reese is now just the fifth WNBA player ever to pose for Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit issue.
Here’s everything you need to know about Reese’s SI Swimsuit Issue photoshoot and her on-court game.
WNBA swimsuit shoot features Angel Reese
Sports illustrated invited Reese to participate in its flagship Swimsuit Issue in 2023, and now, Sports Illustrated is providing additional details and photos from Reese’s swimsuit photoshoot.
Sports Illustrated said it is releasing these photos in honor of the season Reese is having.
“Angel Reese’s rise to acclaim started with her college days and impressive national title run. It was that same year — 2023 — that Reese made her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut. The feature brought her to Los Angeles, where she posed for a colorful photo shoot captured by Yu Tsai,” read Sports Illustrated’s description of Reese’s photo shoot. “Much like her personality (and her own unique fashion sense), both her swimwear and the setting were vibrant.
“The bold styling was inspired by the art-deco style house that served as the setting for the shoot and Reese’s on- and off-court energy.”
Sports Illustrated said much has changed for Reese in the months since the shoot.
“A year on, her life looks a little different,” read Sports Illustrated’s piece. “Her rookie season turned the ‘Bayou Barbie’ into the ‘Chi-Town Barbie,’ and she has already found a lot of success under her new title.”
Who is Angel Reese?
Reese, named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 Women’s National Tournament, was drafted 7th overall by the Chicago Sky in the 2024 WNBA draft.
Reese recently made headlines for her record-breaking double-double streak.
According to Angel Reese’s official biography with USA Basketball, Reese also earned unanimous First Team All-American (2023), AP and USBWA All-American (2023), AP Third Team All-American (2022), First Team All-SEC (2023), First Team All-Big Ten (2022), and Big Ten Conference All-Freshman Team (2021).
BET also honored Reese with the Sportswoman of The Year award.
Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region.