The most controversial Basketball player of the new era, Angel Reese, was once just Bayou Barbie. A zestful basketball player and the highest-ranking recruit from her college. Being the most outstanding player in her very first national championship, Reese has always been a matter of celebration. The chaos over her celebration is of one of the million dollars [$ 1.3M] NIL deals. Her overwhelming John Cena expression: you can not see me to Caitlin Clark in the finals of NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, “the most watched game in the history of women Basketball” and her surprising rejection to visit the White House.

Reese has been the talk of the town since her On3 NIL Valuation – the Industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. This algorithm calculates an athlete’s NIL value using dynamic data points targeting three primary categories: performance, influence and exposure. Reese’s valuation emerged immediately as she continued to make money using her name, image, and likeness. While looking at the current scenario, this may go for a toss. Still, considering the constant lookout and support this college basketball champ has been getting. The chaos over her multi-million-dollar deals could be short-lived, unlike the opportunities coming her way in the form of NIL deals.

Born to two professional basketball players, Angel Reese aspires to have a basketball career and be a television commentator. A communication major with a massive social media following, her journey as a player and her NIL valuation speaks a lot about her stance today.

Angel Reece vs Catlin Clark

Angel Reese, the star player of LSU (Louisiana State University) Lady Tigers, is currently the talk of the town as she is facing too much backlash for her actions against Catlin Clark. She did a John Cena trademark “You can’t see Me” and pointed at her ring finger, indicating her intention to secure the championship title. The remark made a furious impact on the basketball fraternity and divided the group into two segments, one who was in support of her and the other saying it was a classless piece of shit. 

In a post-match presentation, she was asked to answer how she looked at her actions. She replied very calmly and said that when she did this, it was classy, but when I did so, I became the culprit. In the era of NIL, players think that they are bigger than the game, and this leads to unconscious biases and racial spotting. In an interview, former basketball player Richard Jefferson said I had no problem when Caitlin Clark did, and I have no problem when Angel Reece did this because that’s how it is supposed to be; that’s the competitive side. I’ve seen Steph Curry say Night-Night to the crowd. I accept that also. It’s up to you how you see this.

Angel Reece rejection to White House

As per the traditions, the winner of the NCAA Championship is invited to the white house. However, the First Lady of America, Jill Biden, invites both teams to the finals [LSU and IOWA]. Angel responds with her dissatisfaction: “If we lose, you think we would be invited? You felt they should come because of sportsmanship?”  Again, this leads to a hot topic for gossip. Despite facing so much controversy, Reece has managed to maintain her stardom, and her popularity is growing daily through numerous endorsements.