Angel Reese caps epic 22nd birthday with Chicago Sky performance
Angel Reese caps epic 22nd birthday with Chicago Sky performance
For Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, May 6-7 was a movie.
The former LSU Tigers star, now 22, made her mark on women’s college basketball before being selected by the Sky as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft.
On Tuesday, the Sky defeated the New York Liberty 101-53 in a preseason game. Reese contributed 13 points on 60% shooting and five rebounds in the win. Chicago limited New York star Sabrina Ionescu to eight points.
That was just the icing on the cake. On Monday, her birthday, the forward made a statement on X:
Reese started her day at training camp with the Sky, where the team sang the Stevie Wonder rendition of “Happy Birthday” and gifted her a basket of snacks.
Five days before Reese’s birthday, she expressed on social media that she couldn’t believe she’d be turning 22 and teased a “big surprise.”
That surprise was Reese’s appearance at the Met Gala in New York City.
In her debut, she ripped the red carpet with a custom mint-green dress designed by British clothing brand 16Arlington. The dress featured a floor-length sheer skirt, feathers around the waist and a long, sparkling V-neck.
WNBA players seldom walk the stairs at the Met Gala as the event typically takes place during the season. Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner attended in 2023, but Reese was the only WNBA player at this year’s event.
Reese was seen on rapper Cardi B’s Instagram story, reciting the lyrics to her hit song “WAP,” where she referenced Reese and the LSU women’s basketball team.
Reese has long held an interest in the fashion world. She declared for the WNBA draft with a photo shoot featured in Vogue and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit in May 2023.
“Wow! God is so good!” Reese wrote on social media. “Being able to play the game I love and live my dream in the fashion world all on my 22nd birthday is a blessing.”
Reese averaged 13 points and seven rebounds per game in preseason. Chicago will tip off the regular season against the Dallas Wings on May 15.