From her dominance in college basketball to her emergence on the professional stage, Angel Reese built her reputation on production, presence and poise under pressure.
After leading the Louisiana State University Tigers women’s basketball team to a national championship in 2023 and becoming one of the most visible figures in the sport, Reese carried that momentum into the WNBA.
Her transition to the professional level has not diminished her spotlight, but instead expanded it. Angel Reese currently leads all WNBA players with more than 5 million Instagram followers, the highest in the league, underscoring her growing visibility and influence beyond the court.
Reese’s impact extends well beyond the hardwood.
As her profile has grown, so too has her reach across culture, media, and fashion, most recently through a high-profile partnership with Victoria’s Secret, making her the first WNBA player to be featured in a campaign with the brand.
The campaign, shot in Barbados, showcased the Invisible by Victoria’s Secret Strapless Collection. It also included Reese in the Summer Swim Collection and had her pictured with the new Bombshell Bronze Eau de Parfum scent.
The campaign signals more than a traditional endorsement.
It reflects a broader cultural shift in how Black women athletes are represented, valued and positioned within mainstream visibility.
Reese’s presence in that space challenges long-standing boundaries that have separated athletic identity from beauty, femininity and commercial appeal.
Jordynn Johnson, a Victoria’s Secret shopper, emphasized the importance of representation.
“As a Black woman, seeing someone who looks like me, especially an athlete being celebrated like that, means everything,” Johnson said. “Representation matters, and it really just makes you feel seen, valued and included.”
No longer confined to traditional expectations of what an athlete should look like or represent, Reese challenges long-standing norms that have limited women in sports, particularly Black women. Athletes have often been expected to focus solely on performance while downplaying personal expression, with femininity and style viewed as distractions.
Reese disrupts that standard by embracing both her dominance on the court and her identity off it, showing that athletic success and self-expression can coexist.
Camille Strand, a WNBA fan, said Reese’s success could open doors for others.
“It would be nice if we could see other women be in the same position as her, but right now she’s a pioneer, which is great,” Strand said.
Her visibility in both sport and fashion highlights a growing acceptance of multidimensional identities among women athletes, particularly Black women, who have historically been subject to narrow, contradictory standards of image and behavior.
Reese is part of a generation of athletes who increasingly blend performance with personal branding, using social media, endorsements and media appearances to extend their presence beyond competition.
Platforms like Instagram, Name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals and partnerships with major brands allow athletes to showcase their personalities alongside their play, creating a more direct connection with audiences.
In Reese’s case, her visibility on the court and in spaces like fashion and media work together to broaden her reach and influence.
In doing so, she is not only building a powerful personal brand but also actively reshaping how Black femininity is expressed, perceived and consumed on a national and global stage.
Reese received her wings, becoming the first professional athlete to walk in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show last October, a milestone within a globally recognized runway event historically reserved for top fashion models.
The show, once known for featuring its signature “Angels” in elaborate wings and lingerie designs, has long been a defining platform in the fashion industry. Reese’s inclusion marked a notable departure from tradition, signaling a shift toward broader representation and the growing intersection between sports and fashion.
This moment assisted in the creation of her relationship with the brand and showcased her as a multi-industry figure; an athlete, model and media personality.
As Reese continues to move between the WNBA, fashion campaigns and media spaces, her influence reflects more than individual success. It signals a broader redefinition of what it means to be a public figure.
Her presence challenges long-standing cultural binaries that separate strength from softness, competition from beauty, and sport from style. In doing so, Reese is not only expanding her own career but also contributing to a larger shift in how Black women athletes are seen and valued.
Her career suggests that the future of sports stardom may no longer be confined to the game itself, but instead built across multiple stages, where identity is not limited, but fully expressed.
Reese has been intentional about growing her brand beyond basketball, using opportunities like the Victoria’s Secret campaign to expand her platform and create long-term income streams.
“Building my own brand, being myself, being super versatile on and off the court, within my clothes or even within my style of play, was really important,” Reese told ELLE Magazine.
The campaign, shot in Barbados, showcased the Invisible by Victoria’s Secret Strapless Collection. It also included Reese in the Summer Swim Collection and had her pictured with the new Bombshell Bronze Eau de Parfum scent.
Reese, a Black woman, as the face of a lingerie brand, showcases that Black women are marketable and can exude sex appeal.
Black women athletes, such as Reese, are often perceived as masculine due to their strength, competitiveness and physicality. This campaign helps challenge the idea that athleticism is not synonymous with masculinity, showcasing that Black women can be athletic and feminine at the same time.
In the past, Victoria’s Secret has been criticized for its lack of diversity and narrow beauty standards, but has recently made an effort to rebrand around inclusivity.
The brand replaced its “Angels,” now celebrating diverse body types, ages, races, and abilities, by including plus-size and transgender models.
In the campaign, Reese blends athleticism, confidence and glamor as she challenges the traditional idea of femininity.
“[The campaign] just reinforces what I already believe. Women athletes can be everything strong, confident, pretty and stylish all at the same time,” Johnson said.
Armani Durham and Grant Roundtree are reporters for HUNewsService.com
