The Angel Reese Challenge

Eight questions. Think you know her story?

Where did Angel Reese grow up learning basketball?

• Atlanta, Georgia — Atlanta is where she plays now — but she's a Maryland native.
• Randallstown, Maryland — Correct! She learned the game from her mother in Randallstown, MD, and competed in Baltimore County recreational leagues.
• Baltimore City — Close — she did play in Baltimore, but she was born and raised in Randallstown, a suburb.
• Washington, D.C. — Her AAU program, Team Takeover, was D.C.-based — but home was Randallstown.

Which two colleges did Angel Reese play for?

• Duke then LSU — Not quite — she started in the Big Ten, not the ACC.
• Maryland then LSU — Yes! She was the highest-ranked recruit in Maryland Terrapins history before transferring to LSU for her final two seasons.
• LSU then South Carolina — Reversed — and the schools are wrong. Maryland came first, then LSU.
• Tennessee then LSU — Tennessee was never in her path. She went Maryland → LSU.

What historic milestone did Reese help LSU achieve in 2023?

• First SEC regular season title — The 2023 season was bigger than a conference crown.
• First national championship in program history — Exactly! LSU won its first-ever NCAA national championship, and Reese was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
• First Final Four appearance — LSU had been to the Final Four before 2023.
• First undefeated season — LSU did not go undefeated — but they won it all.

Where was Angel Reese selected in the 2024 WNBA Draft?

• 1st overall pick, by the Indiana Fever — Caitlin Clark went first overall to Indiana. Reese was right behind her in the lottery.
• 3rd overall pick, by the Chicago Sky — She went to the Sky, but not at No. 3.
• 7th overall pick, by the Chicago Sky — Spot on — the Sky nabbed her at No. 7 in the first round, kicking off what became a record-setting rookie season.
• 12th overall pick, by the Atlanta Dream — She joined Atlanta eventually, but entered the league as a first-round pick long before that.

What rebounding feat did Reese accomplish in her WNBA rookie season?

• Averaged 10 boards a game for one month — She did more than one month — she rewrote the record books for a full season.
• Set the all-time single-season rebounding record — Correct! Reese broke the WNBA single-season rebounding record in her very first year — then won the rebounding title again in 2025.
• Became the youngest All-Star in WNBA history — She did make the All-Star team as a rookie, but the rebounding record is her historic rookie-season stat.
• Led the league in points and rebounds — She dominated the boards but is primarily known for her rebounding, not scoring totals.

What is Angel Reese's widely used nickname?

• The Bayou Barbie — That was her LSU-era nickname. After joining Atlanta, she evolved to a new one.
• ATL Barbie — Right! Now representing Atlanta, she goes by 'ATL Barbie' — a rebrand that matches her new home city.
• Chi Barbie — She was 'Chi Barbie' during her Chicago Sky days, but the nickname has moved with her.
• Queen of the Paint — A fitting description, but not her actual nickname.

Which WNBA players did a young Angel Reese look up to at Washington Mystics games?

• Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird — Both legends — but they played in the West, not in Washington. She grew up watching Mystics games.
• Candace Parker and Maya Moore — Yes! Reese attended Washington Mystics games as a kid and cited both Candace Parker and Maya Moore as inspirations for her own WNBA dreams.
• Elena Delle Donne and Breanna Stewart — Both elite players — but not the ones Reese has named as childhood inspirations.
• Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes — Legends of the early WNBA, but Reese cited Parker and Moore as her specific inspirations.

What did Reese accomplish on the international stage in 2023?

• Won gold at the FIBA AmeriCup with Team USA — The U.S. medaled at the 2023 FIBA AmeriCup, but not with gold.
• Won silver at the FIBA AmeriCup with Team USA — Correct — Reese helped the United States claim silver at the 2023 FIBA Women's AmeriCup, held in Mexico.
• Won a FIBA World Cup bronze medal — The 2023 international tournament for Reese was the AmeriCup, not the World Cup.
• Did not compete internationally in 2023 — She did suit up for Team USA — earning a silver medal at the AmeriCup.

Long before the packed arenas and WNBA highlight reels, Angel Reese was learning the game in a Maryland driveway. Her mother — also named Angel — taught her the fundamentals, and she spent her childhood competing against her brother Julian and playing in Baltimore County recreational leagues. By the time she hit high school, she had already outgrown point guard and was outperforming players years older.

Reese attended Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore, where she became a McDonald's All-American in 2020 and was ranked the No. 2 player in her class nationally by ESPN. She wasn't just a basketball player, either — as a kid, she also did ballet, gymnastics, swimming, and track. That athletic versatility shows up in her game today.

Angel Reese's Rise to the WNBA

• 2020 — Named McDonald's All-American at Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore. Ranked No. 2 nationally by ESPN.
• 2020–2022 — Joins Maryland Terrapins as the program's highest-ranked recruit ever. Named third-team All-American as a sophomore.
• 2022 — Transfers to LSU Tigers.
• 2023 — Leads LSU to its first national championship. Named Most Outstanding Player. Sets NCAA single-season double-doubles record and SEC single-season rebounds record.
• 2023 — Wins silver medal with Team USA at FIBA AmeriCup in Mexico.
• 2024 — Named SEC Player of the Year. Selected 7th overall by Chicago Sky in WNBA Draft. Sets WNBA single-season rebounding record as a rookie. Named WNBA All-Star.
• 2025 — Wins Unrivaled Defensive Player of the Year and championship with Rose. Earns second WNBA All-Star selection and rebounding title.
• 2026 — Traded to Atlanta Dream. Nicknamed 'ATL Barbie.'

She set the WNBA single-season rebounding record in her very first year — then won it again the next season. That's not luck. That's greatness.WCPO Sports Analysis

Angel Reese's Career Accolades at a Glance

What makes Reese's WNBA trajectory remarkable isn't just the records — it's the consistency. Breaking a league rebounding record as a rookie is one thing. Winning that title again the following season proves it wasn't a fluke. At 6-foot-3 with elite positioning instincts forged since childhood, she's already being described as one of the greatest rebounders the WNBA has ever seen.

After two seasons with the Chicago Sky and a dominant winter run with Rose in the Unrivaled league, Reese was traded to Atlanta in 2026. The 'ATL Barbie' era has begun — and if her first few professional years are any indication, the Dream may have just landed one of the sport's cornerstone players.

By The Numbers

• 2 — College Programs
• 3 — Pro Teams
• 4 — All-American Selections
• 1 — NCAA Title
• 2 — WNBA Rebounding Titles
• 22 — Age at First WNBA Record

Common Claims About Angel Reese — Checked

Reese was the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

Verdict: false

Caitlin Clark went first overall to the Indiana Fever. Reese was selected 7th overall by the Chicago Sky — still a top-10 pick in a historically watched draft class.

She set the WNBA single-season rebounding record in her rookie year.

Verdict: true

Reese broke the league's single-season rebounding record in 2024 — her first professional season. She then led the league in rebounding again in 2025.

Reese played her entire college career at LSU.

Verdict: false

She spent her first two college seasons (2020–2022) at the University of Maryland before transferring to LSU, where she played her junior and senior seasons.

She won an NCAA championship in 2023 and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Verdict: true

Reese led LSU to its first-ever national title in 2023 and was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament.

Reese has never played professionally outside the WNBA.

Verdict: false

She played for Rose in Unrivaled — the 3-on-3 winter league — earning Defensive Player of the Year honors and a championship in 2025.

Her AAU Roots & The Players She Came Up With

Long before the national stage, Reese was honing her game with Team Takeover — an AAU powerhouse based in Washington, D.C. that competes in Nike's Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL). She was coached by Ron James, and her teammates included several players who would go on to play college and professional ball, including Madison Scott, Mir McLean, and Jakia Brown-Turner.

The AAU circuit is where elite prospects separate themselves from the pack, and Reese dominated it. Her performance there, combined with a growth spurt that pushed her from point guard to power forward, is what put her on every major recruiter's radar and ultimately landed her at Maryland as the program's top-ever recruit.

From High School Recruit to WNBA Star

High School Reese (2020)

• #2 National Recruit Rank ESPN Class of 2020
• PG Original Position Before growth spurts
• McDonald's All-American honoree
• AAU standout with Team Takeover (D.C.)

Pro Reese (2025–26)

• 7th WNBA Draft Pick 1st Round, 2024
• PF Current Position 6'3" Power Forward
• 2× WNBA All-Star and rebounding champion
• Atlanta Dream starter, nicknamed 'ATL Barbie'

Follow Angel Reese & Women's Basketball

• Watch the Atlanta Dream: Reese's new chapter in Atlanta is underway. Catch Dream games on ESPN, CBS Sports, and the WNBA app.
• Track Her Stats: Follow Reese's season-by-season numbers at Basketball Reference — the source for professional basketball statistics.
• WCPO Sports Coverage: WCPO covers women's basketball and the Cincinnati sports scene year-round. Check our sports section for the latest.

Sources & References

• Primary source: en.wikipedia.org
• Wikipedia — Angel Reese — Career statistics, biography, college and professional history
• WNBA Official — WNBA All-Star selections, rebounding records, draft history
• Basketball Reference — Season-by-season professional basketball statistics
• NCAA — 2023 tournament results, Most Outstanding Player awards, double-doubles records