Angel Reese is getting ready to make her debut in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. It was announced this week that the LSU women’s basketball star will be in the issue as she’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s newest model. This comes after Reese led the Tigers to their first-ever national championship by beating Iowa 102-85.
“This Bayou Barbie took the world by storm after having two viral moments within just months of each other and being named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament,” SI Swimsuit said in an Instagram post. Despite her quick rise to fame, Angel has continued to stay unapologetically herself and allowed her confidence to always shine through, which is why we applaud her for the inspiration she has become both on and off the court.”
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As mentioned by Yahoo!, Reese, who was named NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, is a top NIL earner at $1.3 million with deals for Coach, Amazon Merch on Demand, McDonald’s and Mercedes Benz-Baton Rouge. “I embrace my body and who I am, and every mark on my body. I probably feel the sexiest in a bathing suit,” she said while wearing bikinis for the shoot.
MJ Day, SI Swimsuit editor-in-chief, explained why Reese will be featured in the issue. “Angel is combating the double standard in sports, especially for women,” she said, per Sports Illustrated. “She is making a name for herself as a fierce competitor and an equally fierce advocate for growing the game of women’s basketball. Her intensity, drive and passion around being unapologetically herself and speaking up for what she believes in is helping move the needle forward for women in sports and is liberating the next generation to feel seen and heard. Our goal here is to help empower as many women as we can, and we’re beyond excited to do that alongside Angel Reese in the 2023 issue.”
Along with helping LSU win a national title, Reese was named a unanimous All-American, the All-SEC First Team and the SEC All-Defensive Team. She finished the 2022-23 season averaging 23 points and 15.4 rebounds per game, becoming the first women’s player in over 15 seasons to reach those marks.
