LSU forward Angel Reese has ascended to stardom since winning the national championship, and she is using that star status to support the next generation.
On Saturday, Reese donated $12,000 to her former high school, St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, to cover tuition expenses for a member of the school’s girls basketball team. According to Reese’s mother, Reese benefited from a similar donation in her four years at St. Frances, and this is her way of paying it forward.
After her senior year at St. Frances, Reese was a top-five recruit in the class of 2020 that also included Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark and Hailey Van Lith.
After Reese was named Most Outstanding Player in the women’s Final Four this year, her estimated NIL evaluation skyrocketed to over $1 million thanks to landing multiple endorsement deals.
With all this newfound popularity, Reese wants to do her part in growing women’s basketball, which starts with continuing to support her high school alma mater.
Angel Reese was born on May 6, 2002, in Randallstown, Maryland, to Angel and Michael Reese. She learned how to play basketball from her mother at a young age and grew up playing against her brother, Julian, in their driveway.
Reese competed in a recreational league in Baltimore County, where her mother also played. She emerged as one of the best players in the city and had success playing above her age group and on boys’ teams. Reese played the point guard position before having two growth spurts by her first year of high school. In addition to basketball, she took part in ballet, gymnastics, swimming and track during her childhood.
Angel Reese was nicknamed the “Bayou Barbie” after transferring to LSU. The nickname refers to the location of the school, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and her appearance on the court, with eyelash extensions and long pink nails. She credits a fan in Baton Rouge with creating the nickname, and she filed for a trademark on the “Bayou Barbie” in her first season at LSU.
