22-year-old WNBA standout Angel Reese is demonstrating that success is more than just what occurs in the game.
Chicago Sky forward, famous for her aggressive rebounding, outspoken personality, and even more outspoken aspirations, has done something many can only dream of doing in an entire lifetime: she bought her own home and paid off her mother’s. And she did so before her 23rd birthday.
Angel Reese took to social media on April 15, 2025, with an excited post that emanated happiness and appreciation. Holding aloft a huge house key cut-out, she smiled widely. Her words said it all:
“Retired my momma”
“Purchased their own home.”
“All at 22. So fortunate.”
For Reese, this was more than an Instagram status update—it was fulfilling a deeply personal vow. Earlier this year in January, Reese surprised her mother, Angel Webb Reese, in an emotional segment of her podcast Unapologetically Angel.
“That was my life’s biggest ambition—to retire you and pay off your mortgage,”
she said to her mother, who burst out in tears.
“You can continue to work if you wish, but that worry? That’s off your shoulders.”
Her mother, also an inductee to the University of Maryland’s Hall of Fame and a former professional basketball player in Luxembourg, was shocked. And for listeners, too, it was an authentic, emotional moment that caught just how far Reese had traveled—and how committed she’s been to giving back.
Although her WNBA rookie salary was publicized at only $73,439—a number that generated much online debate—she’s never hesitated to discuss money problems for female athletes. She at one time said she paid $8,000 a month in rent. Her critics quickly pounced.
But Reese? She clapped back with her trademark confidence.
“They told her that she couldn’t pay her rent, so I went & bought a house.”
“They told her ‘she needs to cover up,’ so I covered up in VOGUE.”
Reese’s determination and sharp wit soon turned things in her direction. She’s not merely surviving inside a system that frequently underappreciates women’s sport–she’s prospering.
Establishing a Brand Outside Basketball
Reese has strategically established a financial base far in excess of her WNBA salary. She is one of America’s most marketable young athletes, with a Who’s Who of sponsorship deals that include:
Reebok
McDonald’s
Beats by Dre
Hershey’s Reese’s Pieces
Good American
Wingstop
Xfinity
She also hosts her own personal podcast, Unapologetically Angel, in which she talks about her life, passions, and calling. And in early 2025, she took home a $50,000 bonus by taking part in and winning the first-ever Unrivaled league—a new competition constructed to raise women’s basketball.
In total, Reese has accumulated an estimated net worth of $1.5 million. Not bad for this young lady who, only last year, had just graduated college and was under fire for her spending habits.
Reese’s story resonates with many–particularly young women working to shatter barriers and construct lives in their own terms. Her saga mirrors what is happening in women’s sport with regards to income disparity, but also with the increasing might of intelligent marketing and enterprise.
In an era where competition is fleeting for so many athletes as soon as the buzzer sounds, Angel Reese is only just starting.
