Reese will be carrying major deals into the WNBA, including her multiyear, exclusive partnership with Panini America.
SponsorUnited recently released its Name, Image, Likeness
Marketing Partnerships 2023–24 report, which offers an in-depth analysis of brand endorsements and social media collaborations across 17 college sports. According to the report, former LSU player Angel Reese had the second-most NIL endorsements over the past year with 26 deals, tied with UCLA quarterback Chase Griffin.
Reese also had the highest follower growth of any athlete across her social media accounts and the highest number of deals in SEC women’s basketball. The report also found that 35% of brands invest exclusively in NIL athletes versus major pro sports athletes. However, players like Reese will be carrying major deals into the WNBA, including her multiyear, exclusive partnership with Panini America, which includes autographed trading cards and memorabilia.
The report also found that while male athletes currently represent 65% of all NIL athletes, women athletes average a higher number of brand deals than their male counterparts at a rate of 3.5 to 2.5. There is also a broader distribution of deals across sports for women than men. NIL deals for male athletes are predominantly seen in football at 72%, while women’s deals are more evenly spread across basketball (35%), gymnastics (18%) and volleyball (15%).
Additionally, NIL deal distribution among the top 100 most endorsed athletes is balanced between women (52%) and men (48%), which is a marked difference from the previous year’s distribution of 62% men and 38% women.
Reese is no longer in college athletics, as the Chicago Sky drafted her No. 7 overall in the 2024 WNBA draft. However, her partnerships will continue to increase, and she will continue to make waves in professional sports, just like she did in college.
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