Angel Reese Secures The Ultimate Bag As The Highest-Paid Black Woman In Basketball
Angel Reese had a lot to celebrate in 2025, and now, she can add being the highest-paid Black woman in professional basketball to the list. A new report revealed that the Chicago Sky star raked in just shy of $10 million, which isn't much of a surprise, given her epic brand deals, the release of her first-ever signature sneaker, and her feature film debut. Reese has been on a tear since winning the NCAA national championship in 2023, and it doesn't look like the WNBA sensation is slowing down any time soon.
Angel Reese Is The Highest-Paid Black Woman In Professional Basketball Following A New Report
Forbes compiled a list of the 20 highest-paid women in professional sports. Among the list were shoo-ins, including Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka. Also on the list were four WNBA stars: Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu, Reese, and Paige Bueckers. According to the report, Reese is the highest-paid Black woman in basketball, earning $9.4 million in 2025. What's interesting, however, is that only $0.4 million of her generated income came from basketball.
Angel Reese Is A Machine Off Of The Court
Reese's paltry WNBA salary ($74,909 according to Sportrac) has been well documented and highly discussed throughout her short career in the league. Reese sparked controversy in 2024 when she made a bold, however true, statement.
"The WNBA don’t pay my bills at all. I don’t even think it pays one of my bills," she said, per Essence and ESPN. Prior to that, Reese turned heads even more when she revealed she spent nearly $100,000 on rent during her rookie year.
"That check that I do get here is a bonus," she said. "Being able to play for what, four to five months, and get $75,000 on top of the other endorsements that I'm doing, I think it's a plus for me."
Where Is Reese Getting Her Money From?
Reese has been a collaboration queen since leaving college, furthering her relationship with Beats by Dre and securing new deals with Reese's, Cash App, Victoria's Secret, and more. "The deals don't just stop in college," she said, according to The Blast. "When you go to the pros, they continue, and I feel like they've grown even more. Now that I'm a pro, I can do so much more."
Later in the year, Reese joined forces with McDonald's, launching the "Angel Reese Special," calling it a "dream come true to be the first-ever female athlete to have my own meal and be a part" of the company's storied history with basketball legends.
In the fall of 2025, Reese sold out the first three colorways of her signature shoe, the "Angel Reese 1." Reese called the design her "style ... story ... and stamp on the game," per The Blast. She explained that she created the shoe alongside Reebok to reflect who she is at her core. "At the end of the day, it's built for basketball — made to move and perform at the highest level," she said.
Reese Is The First Professional Athlete To Become A Victoria's Secret Angel
The accolades for Reese don't stop there. After her second WNBA season concluded, Reese became the first professional athlete to become a Victoria's Secret Angel and walk the legendary runway.
According to The Blast, Reese lit up the stage in two custom ensembles, one of which featured a pink, lace lingerie set, and the other saw the 6'3" baller in a pink set with massive, white angel wings.
"I literally could not stop smiling!" Reese said of the moment, revealing that she manifested it the year before. "I hope I can inspire women and girls everywhere and remind them that we can dominate in our field but also chase our goals outside of it — and for me, that’s getting to walk down fashion and entertainment’s most iconic runway."
Reese's Salary Could Be Going Up, Up, Up In 2026
While Reese is one of the fortunate WNBA players to make a pretty penny off the court, all players could experience a significant bump in their salaries for the 2026 season if the league and the WNBPA can reach an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement.
Over the last two months, reports have surfaced revealing that the league has made several proposals to address pay, including potentially raising minimum salaries to over $300,000 and adjusting the players' revenue-sharing model.
However, both sides remain at an impasse, as the union does not believe the current proposals adequately address their concerns regarding equity and long-term growth.
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