Just two games into her professional career, Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese is already among the most influential players in the league. Don’t believe it? Here’s a fact: Angel Reese has more Instagram followers than every single player in the WNBA. In fact, she already had more followers than every single player in the WNBA before she was even drafted. That number has risen to 3.2 million followers since she was taken No. 7 overall by the Chicago Sky. For reference, Caitlin Clark’s Instagram has 2.3 million followers.
Some might argue one’s social media following doesn’t matter. Those people are wrong. Those extra followers on Instagram can, and do, help players earn most of their living through brand deals and partnerships. The more followers a player has, the more money she’ll make. And we’re talking millions of dollars.
Of course, with money and influence comes great responsibility. And when the league’s stars are making millions in sponsorships while their lesser known teammates are bogged down by the WNBA’s less-than-$150,000 average salary, those with a larger following may feel obligated to advocate for the rest of the league. Reese has shown herself to be that type of person.
Most recently, Reese used her platform to urge the WNBA to help get Seattle Storm rookie Nika Muhl her visa. Muhl, who came from Croatia, played four season at UConn under a school visa, which has been rescinded since she graduated. Since then, she’s been dealing with a pending visa and has yet to make her WNBA debut.
Get Nika her visa NOW, charter flights are HERE, give every team the same PUBLICITY cause it ain’t just one team, online bullying ain’t it AT ALL, and oh the CHICAGO SKY ARE HERE & ON THE RISE! 😇
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) May 21, 2024
According to Howard Megdal of TheNext, Muhl’s P-1 athlete visa has finally been approved and the guard is set to make her big league debut Wednesday against the Indiana Fever. Aside from Muhl, Reese voiced a few different thoughts in her latest tweet, including a demand that the media cover the WNBA more equally instead of just focusing on the teams with star players.
“… [Give] every team the same [publicity] cause it ain’t just one team,” she wrote.
Reese also criticized the handling of the league’s new charter program, in which only some teams were able to start the season flying charters while others could not due to miscalculated logistics. While she handles business off the court, she’s off to a solid start on the court, too, averaging 11.5 points and 8.5 assists through her first two professional games.
So if you’re a sports fan, especially in Chicago, hoping to avoid the growing WNBA discourse, good luck. With her actions both on and off the court, Reese will make sure you hear it whether you want to or not.
