Category: Women’s Baksetball

Angel Reese is swapping the Bayou for Chicago and emerging with a new persona

As Reese moves her life from the Bayou to Chicago, she wanted to spice up her nickname to reflect her new life.

Former LSU star Angel Reese was selected seventh overall by the Chicago Sky during the 2024 WNBA draft. As she moves her life from the Bayou to Chicago, she wanted to spice up her nickname, which was formerly Bayou Barbie, to reflect her new life.

She took to social media to ask her followers what her new nickname should be, but it couldn’t be just anything. As Reese put it: “i need a new name now that i’m in chicago lol something cute that is catchy like Bayou Barbie.”

Reese is a new class of athlete who grew up in college during the name, image and likeness era, when college athletes were finally able to monetize their personal brands. She is entering into the WNBA with a huge social media following, multiple endorsement deals and a strong brand identity.

One of the sponsorships Reese will take with her to the WNBA is a multiyear, exclusive partnership with Panini America, which includes autographed trading cards and memorabilia. Thus, it may seem comical that she is searching for a new nickname, but it is actually a savvy business move as she transitions from college into the W from one city to a new city.

“Hey y’all, so it’s the Chi Barbie here,” Reese said in a video on social media. “I want y’all to know I’m still gonna be the Bayou Barbie, but like, I’m going to Chicago now.”

This new wave of players is shaping how athletes transition from college to the pros. They have business acumen and understand what it is like to run a business and a brand. They are finally allowed to fully flourish in their entrepreneurial journey, and the opportunities it will open for all athletes are going to be exponential.

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Dream guard Rhyne Howard feels future WNBA players won’t want to play overseas

While players have differing perspectives on staying home or playing overseas, the big change to seasons past is the choice.

Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard will be staying in the United States this offseason due to multiple job opportunities. Howard recently joined the University of Florida women’s basketball team as an assistant coach and director of player personnel while also being selected as one of the new cohort of players for WNBA marketing and promotional agreements.

Howard played last offseason in Italy for Famila Wuber Schio, but she did not feel like overseas play was what she wanted to do in the offseason. Many players don’t have a choice when it comes to taking a break during the offseason or playing overseas because of financial reasons. However, more opportunities are provided to these players to keep them stateside if they want to stay.

“Just being able to have that (freedom) to not go overseas and also find things where I can still make money, it’s helpful,” Howard told Andscape. “Especially for this generation. I feel like a lot of kids in my generation, and the generation coming up are not going to want to play overseas as well.”

Former Connecticut Sun forward Brionna Jones, and current free agent, has spent seven years in a row overseas. This year, she has also been selected for a WNBA marketing and promotional agreement.

“I’ve been playing for seven years (straight) now. This is my first offseason not playing,” Jones said.

Jones shared the benefits of staying home during the offseason, although she is a proponent of playing overseas.

“The top one is just being able to spend time with my family and friends,” Jones said. “Then being able to work on things specifically without having to think about (having a game). Just being able to have that time in between, rest my body and do all the recovery that I need to do when the WNBA season starts.”

While players have differing perspectives on staying home or playing overseas, the big change to seasons past is the choice. Many players can now choose to stay home or play abroad. In years past, players did not have the opportunity to stay in the United States. More opportunities will continue to arise stateside with the increased influx of sponsorship dollars into the league and increased viewership.

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