How does Angel Reese get from training to the Met Gala and back? “This is what I do”

Posted by enzo2go May 10, 2024

CHICAGO – If you desire to understand how quickly the WNBA is changing, just watch Angel Reese's week.

On Monday, her twenty second birthday, the Chicago Sky newcomer took an unusual outing after training in suburban Deerfield.

When people leave the Sachs Center, a Park District gym in a strip mall, they sometimes go for some ramen at Jimmy Thai or a coffee at Dunkin' Donuts. If you actually feel like ruining your workout, go across the road to Portillo's.

Reese, who’s slightly different than the common player, rookie or not, went to the Met Gala.

“These new kids,” veteran guard Diamond DeShields said with fun and a sigh. “You did it.”

Rocking a custom dress from British label 16Arlington, Reese enjoyed the evening among the many glitterati after which flew back to Chicago to organize for work on Tuesday. She scored 13 points and added five rebounds in 19 minutes because the Sky defeated the New York Liberty in a 101-53 preseason victory.

“I went to the Met Gala, beat the Met Gala in New York, came back and beat New York,” she said. “That’s what I do.”

“Angel is one of a kind,” DeShields said. “She is incredibly unique. I think it's really cool that she got the opportunity to go to the Met Gala. I mean, I’m still waiting for my invitation.”

And the Sky – who will not be expected to be anywhere near their competitors and shall be without their top draft pick Kamilla Cardoso for 4 to 6 weeks resulting from a shoulder injury – made for a meaningless preseason game in Chicago rightly caused a stir.

Reese brought her shine to the team. While No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark is the undisputed frontrunner in WNBA rookie stardom – She killed on Saturday Night Live before the draft – Reese is not any slouch. That's not why she was chosen No. 7 overall — she's a ferocious rebounder and expert inside scorer — nevertheless it doesn't hurt to have star power for a team that's getting its share of the eye economy in a crowded market seeks. The Sky were led by hometown legend Candace Parker as they lit up the town and won the 2021 WNBA title, but that shine quickly faded.

Now it's a brand new team and a brand new time. It's Reese's time.

On Tuesday, her viral trip to New York caused some intrigue: How would she play? — after which Chicago Bears Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen showed up and sat courtside, turning a game otherwise only open to season ticket holders right into a scene.

It's normal for Chicago athletes to indicate as much as Sky games – Williams, the Bears' No. 1 pick, adds slightly extra pizzazz wherever he goes – but Reese, at all times considering big, expects that This shall be a recurring story once in a while on the road.

“Everyone will stand trial,” she said. “The celebrities shall be in court. Be aware that the who's who shall be in court. I used to be on the Met Gala and Usher (he said) goes to attempt to get to a game in Vegas and Cardi B. I do know some people you may not think I do know, but I do.”

The big news in the league right now is commissioner Cathy Engelbert's surprise announcement (seriously, even the teams didn't know it was going to happen) that the WNBA will begin charter flights. The money is coming and it's time for the WNBA to invest in its game. No more travel delays ruining a day off.

Of course, Reese got to New York so quickly on a private plane. Again she is different.

“I did my hair and makeup on the plane,” she said. “My two girls and one of my friends got on the plane with me. We do hair and makeup on the plane, blow dry and flat iron, which is crazy, but it turned out great as you can see.”

With young celebrities like Reese and Clark in the league and the attention they bring them, perhaps that's one reason the WNBA is finally granting players' long-held desire for charter flights.

“I’m glad the league was proactive,” said veteran Sky forward Elizabeth Williams. “We live in a time where Angel has three million followers. She has a spotlight on her that none of us have, and we have nothing to compare it to. And rather than there being an incident, I think this is a proactive measure.”

After all the hubbub, Reese said that if she had had a bad game against the Liberty, what she would have heard in her head was her ex-coach at LSU, the ever-disgruntled Kim Mulkey, if not her current Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon. So she made sure she was ready to play, even if it was just a preseason game. Reese could make a living as a social media influencer, but that's her career.

“I already knew the expectations that came with it, like having to be locked in and focused on my matches,” she said. “I took my encounters seriously. I watched a movie on the plane. I wanted to go back. People at the Met Gala were like, 'Do you want to party after?' I said no, I have a game tomorrow. I have to watch a movie. I prioritize everything. Since I also go to school, I have a busy schedule with a lot to do. But like I said, you need to maximize your 24 hours.”

Weatherspoon, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, has yet to coach an actual WNBA game, but she's clearly comfortable enough to give her players the opportunity to be themselves. It bodes well for her as she oversees a largely new squad with limited outside expectations of victory.

She really enjoyed Reese's trip. Weatherspoon said Reese “deserved this chance to go away, and as her head coach, I'm not going to take that away from her.”

“How did I do know I could trust Angel Reese?” she said. “Angel does angelic things, so I know she knows how to prioritize.”

At Sky's media day on Wednesday, Reese spoke about the duality of her life and her image on and off the pitch.

“I always felt like I wanted to be the sweet, pretty girl on the court, but I also wanted to be a dog and have that dog mentality,” she said. “That’s why I want to continue to make it clear to women and convey that you can do both.”

The idea that female basketball players reach their peak in college is stupid. At 22, Reese's career and life are just beginning. Her WNBA career hasn't started yet, but it's safe to assume we'll be talking about her for a long time.



image credit : theathletic.com

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