Angel Reese Loses Out ‘Best-Dressed’ Title to 28YO WNBA Star Despite Countless Luxury Pre-Game Outfits

“I’m all about normalizing that you can live both lives.” That’s what Angel Reese said as she put on a show both on and off the court in her rookie WNBA. The Chicago Sky averaged 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game in an injury-curtailed season, but she was equally impressive when it came to rocking her pre-game outfits and dressing up in glamourous fashion for events like the Met Gala.

Her focus on the game and appeal as a fashion icon was none more evident on her 22nd birthday. On the morning of May 6, she practiced with the team ahead of her rookie season, and by the evening she was in New York attending her first Met Gala, wearing a custom look by 16Arlington: a turquoise sequined dress with a deep neckline and feathery mini-skirt.

Apart from that appearance, we have seen Reese turn up the style ahead of Sky’s games. Her white Prada one-piece paired with a $4,000 mini bag she wore ahead of the home game against LA Sparks raised eyebrows as did her all-denim outfit with a skirt and a zippered crop top shirt before the game against Seattle Storm. But as it turns out, the WNBA’s young fashionista has fallen short when it comes to the ‘Most Stylish WNBA Player’ competition.

GQ put up a poll on Instagram asking fans to vote for the ‘Most Stylish WNBA Player’. One of the matchups pitted Reese against Seattle Storm star Gabby Williams. Well, if you expected Reese to win this contest by a landslide, you are wrong. There was a one-sided victory, but it went to Williams.  

The Strom forward snagged a whopping 75% of the votes, leaving Angel with just 25%. Though this may come as a surprise, Williams has brought her flair to the pre-game outfits. She sported a black ensemble accented with a green jacket and boots that stole the show for one of the gameday earlier in the season.

We also saw her flaunting a red-and-white pattern handkerchief crop top, jeans, chic sunglasses, and matching red-and-white kicks before Seattle took on The Mystics in August. Despite losing out to Williams, Reese is fast becoming WNBA’s fashion All-Star. Her outfits, accessories, and stunning looks have turned heads in the league and beyond with her flamboyance coming with a hefty price tag.

Remember that stunning white Prada one-piece she rocked at Wintrust Arena before their home matchup? It was accompanied by a mini bag worth more than $4,000. The WNBA star also walked into the arena in a Chanel dress that matched her shoes and purse, both from the same designer brand. And let’s not even get into the glamorous red dress she wore at the VS fashion show, which cost $5,000.

Her Met Gala dress or the outfit she donned at Fondation Louis Vuitton, where was a guest of Pharrell Williams, screamed expensive. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, since the “The Chi-Town Barbie” has signed deals with luxury labels such as Chanel and Miu Miu. She has also earned around $1.7 million from sponsorships in 2022 and 2023 alone, which puts her in good stead as she focuses on building the brand Reese.

Angel Reese: Building the brand with fashion

Back in her college days, she earned the nickname Bayou Barbie (Chi-Town Barbie now). The 2024 rookie’s style isn’t just about the clothes; it’s about sending a message. “I make sure my nails, hair, lashes, and edges are done, and then I take it to the court,” Reese said. “That same girl must still be a competitor and a dog on the court.”

“I’m all about normalizing that you can live both lives you don’t have to just be an athlete,” she asserted. With 4.4 million followers on Instagram and 4.6 million on TikTok, fashion is now more like a business for the hooper. And who wouldn’t agree that considering WNBA’s pay, it is necessary.

Her WNBA salary was reported as $73,439 for her debut season and she is projected to make $74,909 next season per the WNBA’s current collective bargaining agreement. So while she may have lost to Williams in the GQ poll, her future as a WNBA powerhouse both on and off the court is promising.