Reese is still under intense scrutiny as his public image grows. Her podcast demonstrates how she deals with those demands.

As a young Black woman in the spotlight, how can you succeed while juggling several identities? Can you be accepted as both a model and a basketball star?

During her second WNBA offseason and the second season of her podcast, “Unapologetically Angel,” Sky star Angel Reese is delving into these issues.

For someone whose professions in fashion and basketball are both flourishing, it makes sense. As one of ten newbies to the USA Basketball Women’s National Team training camp this weekend, Reese is already on track to become the greatest rebounder in WNBA history.

However, doors in fashion and business are opening up just as swiftly as they do in basketball. She made history this autumn by being the first athlete to appear in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. She was also listed as one of SportsPro’s 2025 most marketable athletes, ranking fifth among basketball players behind Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry, LeBron James, and Caitlin Clark.

Her accomplishment is celebrated by many. Others respond with a familiar animosity.

“They were furious when I was announced for Victoria’s Secret,” Reese said to a podcast listener. “I mean, what are you all upset about?”

Having faced the racist connotations of critics since making fun of Caitlin Clark during the NCAA championship game, Reese has a sneaking suspicion. Some find her exposure as a young Black woman more intimidating now that she is successful in several fields.

The difficulty of negotiating those dynamics is reflected in her podcast. She features prominent Black people, athletes, and artists who have balanced a variety of interests and thought about what happens when the world tries to define you first.

Artist Victoria Monét stated, “People sometimes try to cage you in with whatever you were introduced as.” “For example, they might say, ‘No, you can’t do anything else,’ if you identify yourself as a basketball player.”

As a professional singer, songwriter, and dancer, Monét believes that detractors frequently project their own self-doubt. What would she advise Reese to do?

“If you can manage that work ethic, just do whatever makes you happy and stack it if you want to. I’m sure you can, just by looking at you.

Reese found resonance in the counsel.

“She should just be a model,” someone said to me. She ought to be limited to playing basketball. She ought to give up podcasting. This is how she ought to be.

Reese, though, is unwavering. “I am capable of achieving everything I set my mind to.”

Reese is unrepentant but not unbreakable.

Wale, the artist, expressed to Reese his desire to emulate her defiance and lack of concern for criticism.

“Yo, I simply enjoy how she doesn’t care,” I said to my partner. Reese was informed on her program by Wale, a fellow native of the DMV. “I hope I can accomplish it. Man, I’m caring. I’ll be considerate.

Reese is truly unrepentant, but no one is unbreakable. She is beginning to demonstrate that she is aware of that as well.

She frequently allows her guests—typically Black female celebrities—to discuss the effects of racist or other nasty remarks on her program.

She responded to internet taunting of her missed layups by donating the proceeds of her “Mebounds” clothing to victims of cyberbullying during the previous WNBA season. She used the suicide death of former LSU football player Kyren Lacy as an example of how dangerous cyberbullying can be.

In July, Reese told the Sun-Times, “We take social media lightly. And everyone says, ‘Block this, block that, block the noise. However, it’s not that simple.

Generally speaking, Reese has felt more at ease speaking up for others than focusing on her personal injuries.

However, she has recently revealed more details about how criticism affects her as well. She discussed how her experiences have impacted her interaction with the media with sports journalist Taylor Rooks.

Reese stated, “I’m afraid about what the media is going to question even before the game. Even if it’s the most polite question, it will be misinterpreted. For example, if you post, The sky was blue, it will say, “Angel remarked that it’s too dark.

Rooks, an experienced member of the sports media and a follower of Reese’s career, responded:

I don’t mean to put words in your mouth, but there were definitely occasions when it somewhat altered your self-perception. A certain amount of trauma results from all of these people saying inaccurate things about you, but that is creating a narrative about you.

Rooks’ counsel?

You must work twice as hard to ensure that you don’t trust the predictions made about you.

Reese has a big task ahead of him. She has to deal with a mix of double standards, deepfakes, and clickbait headlines as she rises in both basketball and fashion. For Reese, podcasting seems to be a helpful bridge, a method to strengthen herself and discover mirrors along the route.