Angel Reese is heading to the WNBA.
The current Louisiana State University (LSU) student, who is set to graduate on May 18, 2024, was among the 36 players to be called during the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) draft. The event was held on Monday, April 15, 2024, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York, NY, according to NBC’s local Channel 4.
Reese was the No. 7 draft pick in the first of three rounds, and she will be headed to play for the Chicago Sky alongside South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso, per USA Today’s For the Win. They will be guided by head coach by Teresa Weatherspoon.
“ANGEL” in the SKY👼🏽💙💛 pic.twitter.com/P0h60oFSXi
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) April 16, 2024
“It’s a great moment. I’m super excited to go into the W,” Reese explained during an interview on “Today.” “This has always been a dream for me and a dream come true. And then with amazing girls, only 15 girls get to be selected to come to New York and have this experience. And as a little girl, being able to put the dress on and actually go up there and hear a name called was amazing. So I’m just happy to be here and enjoy the moment.”
When asked about joining the Chicago Sky, Reese reflected, “It was a great feeling. I mean, having conversations with Coach T Spoon [Weatherspoon], a legendary coach, she was amazing. She made me feel really welcome, and everything that they’re building in Chicago, I feel like that’s for me and what I’m built for, and being able to go to Chicago, a place where they’re winning and being able to grow, is exciting.”
“This has always been a dream for me.” Angel Reese, WNBA Chicago Sky draft pick, talks about last night’s draft and how she’s preparing for her next chapter. pic.twitter.com/IbtRMpS7Wu
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 16, 2024
The WNBA is set to kick off its regular season on Tuesday, May 14, and will conclude on Thursday, Sept. 19, its website mentions. Reese will be walking into a four-year rookie contract valued at $324,383, according to Spotrac.
https://t.co/hqF3Oq155B pic.twitter.com/UrtQNu72Lw
— Spotrac (@spotrac) April 16, 2024
This is significantly less earnings than what Reese earned as a collegiate athlete due to Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals, which included:
- Airbnb
- Reebok
- Tampax
- Wingstop
- McDonald’s
- Raising Cane’s
- Mielle Organics
- Amazon
- Sonic
- Bose
- Banter by Piercing Pagoda
- TurboTax
- Xfinity
- JanSport
- Outback Steakhouse
Thanks to her array of deals, including 2024 agreements with Beats by Dre, Topps, and Goldman Sachs, Reese’s NIL valuation is estimated to be $1.8 million, per Bleacher Report.
In spite of Reese’s WNBA salary, her accomplishments within the realm of NIL agreements undoubtedly suggest the promising business avenues awaiting her in a new terrain.
