“No one was expecting a college player, and no one was expecting a woman.” When Angel Reese signed the NIL deal, she was still playing at LSU. But her ‘Uncle’ Shaquille O’Neal had the vision, alongside his trusted man, Allen Iverson, to sign the Bayou Barbie. She became the first athlete signed to the brand under the new leadership. And now the Chi-Town Barbie is taking the next step with the $2.5 billion company.

“Reebok and Angel are growing together every day and our visions for the future are aligned,” Jide Osifeso, Reebok’s Head of Basketball, told ESPN. “We’re excited to continue the relationship with a ground-up build of her signature silhouette.” Shams Charania also added that with this, Reese became one of the five active WNBA players with a signature shoe deal. With the signature shoe release in 2026, a multi-year endorsement extension was signed.

The list features one Puma athlete, New York Liberty’s brand new World Champion Breanna Stewart. Others are three Nike athletes, Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu, Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson, and Indiana Fever’s and Reese’s archenemy Caitlin Clark. Even though the season did not end how the Chicago Sky No. 5 would have wanted, at least Shaquille O’Neal watched her in one of the games live. It was the first time that the 4x NBA Champion would watch a WNBA game that featured Reese.

“She’s like a daughter to me. So, I’m gonna protect her, I’ll call her, and I’ll just mess with her. But she’s great, she’s our daughter.” Throughout the season, the Sky forward broke many records, and ESPN reported a few. In August, Angel Reese released her first collection with Reebok which featured apparel and footwear. The three sneakers were based on Reebok’s Classic models. Premier Road Plus VI, BB 4000 II, and Classic Leather silhouettes.

That’s why when Shaquille O’Neal and AI thought of the future, they only had Angel Reese in their mind. “And we wanted to do something with women’s sports, she was the first and she was the only [person I thought of].”

Shaquille O’Neal continues to advise the ‘Double-Double Queen’

Not only do they share a respectful bond, as the Lakers’ legend was the one to escort her on her LSU senior night, but the 3x Finals MVP also acts as a mentor, in terms of business decisions. “He reminds me that I need to stay focused on basketball, but I should always be developing my off-court businesses too. He’s a true businessman and has helped me develop that same business mindset.”

The 22-year-old also acknowledged recently that she wants to create “generational wealth.” With close to two dozen companies in brand partnerships, the target doesn’t seem far away. She currently has a net worth of around $2 million. The month of August was certainly a success in terms of business planning, with three deals coming to fruition.

Unapologetically Angel (podcast), Reebok x Angel collection, and Reese’s Pieces. All of them had connections with Shaquille O’Neal. Playmaker HQ produces both of their podcasts, plus Hershey’s has more than 90 brands, which includes Shaq’s gummies range and Reese’s Pieces. So, it was just a matter of time before the new deal’s announcement was made official. Now we know and expect the sneaker drop to start in 2026.