Meet Angel Reese, WNBA’s fashion icon – and Caitlin Clark’s ‘rival’

WNBA rookies are getting huge attention this season as star players such as Caitlin Clark and Cameron Brink make headlines for bringing new interest to the league. Not only are these women injecting the game with their powerful plays, but they also have unprecedentedly high salaries.

It also doesn’t hurt that there’s a bit of drama brewing among the rookies. The seventh overall pick at the year’s WNBA draft, Angel Reese’s supposedly ongoing rivalry with Clark piqued the interest of fans who crave action both on and off the court.

Reese, a DC Power Football Club part-owner, also referenced the league booking charter flights for their teams’ 2024 to 2025 season, which has been credited to Clark’s hype.

Reese celebrated the victory of her team, Chicago Sky, against the New York Liberty last Thursday, in a since-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter).

“And that’s on getting a win in a packed area, not just ‘cause of one player on our charter flight. #Skytown,” she wrote – only to delete it soon after.

Reese’s post appeared to be a dig at Clark, whose team, Indiana Fever, has been struggling to secure a victory this season.

Those comments may have been a direct response to the remarks made by former basketball player Charles Barkley, who said the WNBA player should be “thanking” Clark, as her success is what prompted the league to charter flights for the upcoming 2024 to 2025 season.

“Y’all petty girls … y’all should be thanking that girl for getting your a** private charters … all the money and visibility she’s bringing to the WNBA,” Barkley said. “Listen, once she’s accomplished, get her her flowers.”

Whether the drama between Reese and Clark is real or simply being played up by the media for clicks, it’s fair to say that Reese definitely took a W with her recent appearance at the Met Gala.

Reese walked the Met carpet on the first Monday of May to celebrate at one of the year’s biggest fashion events. Guests showed up to the evening, which was themed The Garden of Time, in gowns inspired by nature and fleeting beauty.

Reese stuck to the theme in a mint-green halter dress with a feather and sheer tulle skirt. The evening was not only a special fashion moment for the star, as it undoubtedly marked her arrival on the radars of designers and the fashion industry, but it was also her 22nd birthday.

Despite looking ever the vision, she received criticism for attending the gala: the Chicago Sky had a game against the New York Liberty the following day, which led some to call her out for seemingly not focusing on her sport.

In the end, the Chicago Sky won the game 101-53 – but the comments highlight the criticism and pressure players constantly face.

As she attended the Met Gala, it’s clear that Reese has an interest in fashion. Her appearance at the gala marks a unique fashion era for the WNBA as well, with eye-catching locker-room ‘fits and coaches clad in Louis Vuitton like Dawn Staley.

As for Reese, she loves sharing her OOTDs with her 3.2 million Instagram followers. For the WNBA Draft, Reese stunned in a hooded shimmering silver halter dress by Bronx and Banco. She completed the look with a silver pair of Christian Louboutin heels.

In one of her most recent posts, she shares a brown bodysuit look that she accessories with a Givenchy purse and boots, and a diamond-encrusted Cartier Tank watch.

She also loves bright accents from brands like Balenciaga – she pairs an all-black look with a pop of orange by way of the Balenciaga Le Cagole bag.

In one locker-room look, the basketballer rocked a matching hoodie and sweatpants ensemble, also from Balenciaga.

All about adding those bold accents to her looks, the 22-year-old gave off Y2K vibes with a silver Chanel Flap Bag, which she paired with wide-leg cropped jeans and a cropped tank.

She’s apparently such a fan of the Chanel Flap Bag, that she wore it again in classic black with a sweatpants and leather jacket look, topping it off with a pair of CC logo trainers and sunglasses from the same luxury house.

Among the 17 brand deals that Reese scored before even joining the WNBA include one with American fashion brand Calvin Klein.

The player also featured in the campaign for Khloé Kardashian’s fashion brand Good American, wearing various denim-centric looks for the cameras.

While she loves wearing luxury brands like Balenciaga, Chanel and Louis Vuitton, she’s also not afraid to mix things up with affordable, fast-fashion looks. She appeared on the Today show wearing a black denim jacket and shirt ensemble from online retailer Fashion Nova.