Angel Reese: Embracing Confidence and Body Positivity

Angel Reese isn’t backing down.

One of the most recognizable faces in women’s sports, the Chicago Sky rookie has spent the past few years living in a spotlight that stretches far beyond the court. With that visibility has come a steady stream of criticism over what she wears and what she posts — especially when it comes to bikini photos.

She’s made her stance clear: she’s not here to apologize.

Owning the image

Reese has long been comfortable showing her body on social media, whether it’s bikinis or more revealing outfits. That confidence has carried into major brand work, too. She’s appeared in SI Swimsuit, and she’s built an ongoing partnership with Victoria’s Secret — a lane few professional athletes have ever entered, let alone dominated.

Her first SI Swimsuit shoot came in 2023, when she was still starring for LSU. It pushed her out of her comfort zone, but only briefly.

"I had on thong bathing suits and I didn't think I was going to be comfortable, but [everyone] made me feel really comfortable," Reese said at the time. "I work out a lot. I embrace my body and who I am and every mark on my body. I probably feel the sexiest in a bathing suit."

That wasn’t a one-off moment. It was the start of a broader statement.

Last year, she became the first professional athlete ever to star in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. A college champion stepping onto one of fashion’s biggest stages, refusing to shrink.

"I'm not going to shy away from looking like this, because I work my ass off for this body," she said of the show. "Being sexy is just something that I love and always embrace."

This year, she went a step further, becoming the first WNBA player to front a Victoria’s Secret campaign. The message stayed the same: this is who she is, and she’s not dimming it for anyone.

‘I got a nice body’

The criticism hasn’t disappeared. If anything, it’s grown alongside her fame. But Reese has chosen to confront it head-on, using her own platform to do it.

On a recent episode of her podcast, Unapologetically Angel, she addressed the backlash around her bikini posts and the way people try to sexualize her for simply showing her body.

"I'm a beautiful woman, I got a nice body, and I work hard for it. If I want to post a picture in my bikini, I should be able to without being sexualized," she said. "I think once you reach a certain level of stardom, people forget that you're a 22-year-old girl."

That line cuts to the core of her frustration. She’s a young star, still just 22, juggling the demands of professional basketball, global visibility, and a public that often treats her as a symbol before it sees her as a person.

Reese isn’t asking for permission. She’s drawing a boundary.

She’ll keep playing. She’ll keep posing. She’ll keep posting the photos she wants to post. The criticism will keep coming, but so will the message: her body, her work, her choice.