No, Angel Reese is not a senior but a sophomore basketball player at Louisiana State University. Reese joined the LSU Tigers on May 6, 2022.
The 20-year-old young basketball prodigy haled from the small community of Randallstown in Maryland. Born to her parents, Angel and Michael Reese, she has a brother named Julian committed to the Maryland Terrapins.
Reese boasts an impressive junior career as she rose through the ranks of young female basketball players in the country. She embarked on her professional journey playing at her high school St. Frances Academy in Baltimore.
In 2020, the forward moved to Maryland Terrapins women's basketball team and played for two seasons, making her name into the First Team All-Big Ten and the All-Defensive Team.
The LSU star is currently listed among the leading female college athletes with the most NIL deals, thanks to her staggering fan following on social media.
Already a significant CV, she can further boast a Championship title on her name, but the road is tough. She has to go through Virginia Tech Hokies with Elizabeth Kitley and Georgia Amoore in the final four this year.
What Year Is Angel Reese In College?
Angel Reese a third year sophomore at Louisiana State University. She proudly dons the college basketball team LSU Tigers' purple and gold jersey.
She arrived at LSU after spending two seasons at Maryland, where she became one of the top young prospects in the country. Even before her stint at the Terrapins, Reese was flying high playing for her high school, St. Frances Academy.
With impressive junior stats, she was tagged a five-star recruit by ESPN. She chose to play for Maryland in November 2019, despite receiving many offers from colleges like Tennessee, USC, and South Carolina.
Reese debuted for Maryland a year later, in November 2020, the first of many.
With an average of 17.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, she became the first Maryland sophomore to average a double-double since 1975.
As a result of her standout performances, Reese was rated the top player in the transfer portal in 2022, and she joined LSU with high expectations.
Before leaving Maryland, she earned First Team All-Big 10 and Defensive All-Big 10 honors. Reese's skills were evident from her freshman year, where she played in 15 games and averaged 10 points and six rebounds, earning a spot on the Big 10 All-Freshman team.
Reese Brought Firepower To LSU In 2022
Reese was transferred to the LSU Tigers women's basketball on May 6, 2022.
After two seasons at Maryland, she felt the need for change and entered her name into a transfer portal in April 2022. Nevertheless, there were offers from several teams, but she was impressed by Louisiana State, where she was heading for the next chapter of her career.
Her decision to join the team was heavily influenced by her trust in head coach Kim Mulkey and her strong desire to participate in a successful program.
Reese picked jersey number 10, the same digit her mom, Angel, used to have on her back during her playing days. Into the second season at the college, Reese has already cemented her name in the annals of university basketball history.
She set a new standard at LSU, breaking both the single-game rebounding record held by Maree Jackson and the consecutive double-doubles that Sylvia Fowles set.
Besides, Reese has been awarded several accolades for her exceptional stats and performances, including the NCAA First-team All-American in 2023 and First-team All-Big Ten in 2022.
Angel Reese NIL Deal Worth
Angel Reese NIL deal is worth $392,000, according to the On3 website. She sits in the number 9 position on the list of the highest NIL valuation.
To get an insight into these valuations and how they are determined, one must first understand the meaning of NIL.
It is an abbreviation for Name, Image, and Likeness which makes up the three letters of the word itself.
In June 2021, NCAA implemented a new policy that allowed all the NCAA student-athletes across all divisions to have access to monetizing their NIL.
Based on their social media popularity, including the interactions and likes on their post, NCAA developed a rule that will benefit and encourage young athletes to earn payment for using their name, image, or likeness, such as through commercial purposes.
Nicknamed "Bayou Barbie," the LSU guard has quite a fan base on her socials, with a combined 1.1 million followers on her three major networking platforms Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter.
Her TikTok account alone compensates for more than half a percentage of her followers at 54%, making her among the most-followed college basketball players.
Likewise, her fellow LSU athlete Livvy Dunne takes the crown with the highest NIL valuation of $3.4 million, according to On3 Women's NIL 100.
In addition, the 6-foot-3 has collaborated with industry leaders such as McDonald's, Sparkling Ice, Xfinity, Wingstop, and Discord.
Is Angel Reese Going To The WNBA Draft 2023?
Angel Reese has not signed up for the 2023 WNBA Draft.
The most anticipated event will take place on April 10th and will see 12 teams vying to secure top-tier prospects.
Though many thought the 20-year-old Maryland homegrown would also be one of the many to be listed for the Draft. Unfortunately, she has not made herself available for the move.
However, the LSU standout is on the 2024 WNBA Draft list with Iowa Hawkeyes' Caitlin Clark and ten other elite young female basketball players. People have already set their eyes for the 2024 year, as it has already been stacked with several multigenerational talents.
Several WNBA franchises closely monitor Reese, recognizing her unparalleled dedication and contagious passion as key attributes that could propel her to superstardom on any team she plays for.
Kenny Brooks-led team is resilient in 2023 March Madness, but if anyone can do it, It's the almighty LSU Tigers.
