angel reese

Victoria’s Secret called game.

WNBA player Angel Reese and Olympic gymnast Suni Lee walked the 2025 edition of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on Wednesday, becoming the first major athletes to hit the runway at the lingerie and loungewear brand’s signature event.

Reese, a forward for the Chicago Sky, was part of the high-profile “Wings Reveal” lineup, with the two-time All-Star debuting two looks at the event. The first was a pink floral lingerie set paired with a feathered stole, while the second featured the brand’s iconic angel wings. She is the first professional athlete to walk the show.

“It was destined for me,” Reese reportedly said in an interview before the show kicked off. “This is already for me. I’m so happy to be sitting in this room with so many amazing models and women. The team that put this all together has been amazing. I’m so excited.”

Angel Reese debuted two looks at the 2025 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

(Evan Agostini / Invision / Associated Press)

The 2025 Victoria Secret’s Fashion Show may have marked her professional modeling debut, but Reese has long been a fashion icon. She’s known for her sharp arrival looks as much as her rebounding prowess among women’s basketball fans and she even served as a member of the 2025 Met Gala’s host committee. Reese capped off her standout college career, which included an NCAA championship title with Louisiana State University in 2023, by declaring for the WNBA draft in a 2024 Vogue interview and has since graced that magazine’s cover.

Two-time Olympian Lee, meanwhile, made her fashion show debut as part of the segment dedicated to VS’ Pink line, sporting short shorts and a pink hoodie adorned with miniature wings. She hit the runway while four members of the K-pop group Twice were performing live.

Suni Lee makes her Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show debut.

(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for Victoria’s Secret)

“Stepping into something like the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show felt like a dream outside of my comfort zone … But that’s exactly why I said yes,” Lee told Marie Claire in an interview before the show where she described her runway look as “sporty meets glam in the best way.”

Lee, of course, was part of the “Golden Girls” squad alongside Simone Biles that brought home the team gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Among her six Olympic medals is also the all-around gold from the 2020 Games in Tokyo, which were held in 2021 due to pandemic restrictions. The Minnesota native also competed as part of Auburn University’s gymnastics team.

Napheesa Collier covered a lot of bumpy ground in her lengthy end-of-season statement. Yes, officiating in WNBA games is substandard. Sure, the collective bargaining agreement is about to expire and negotiations could cripple the league’s extraordinary popularity.

But let’s not bury the lead. It was a comment Collier attributed to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert in response to the paltry rookie contracts forced on stars such as Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers that could have lasting impact.

During Indiana Fever exit interviews Thursday, Clark said she was unaware of Collier’s unabashed finger-pointing, which went like this:

“I … asked how [Engelbert] planned to fix the fact that players like Caitlin, Angel and Paige, who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for their first four years,” Collier said Tuesday. “Her response was, ‘Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.’”

Collier added that Engelbert told her, “players should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them.”

Reporters filled in Clark on what Collier said. Then Clark took a breath and responded.

“First of all, I have great respect for [Collier],” Clark said. “I think she made a lot of very valid points. I think what people need to understand is we need great leadership in all levels. … This is a moment we have to capitalize on…. Phee said it all.”

She alluded to the increasing income opportunities afforded women players, even at the college level with NIL money.

“I think that’s probably the way in which the league has changed over the course of the last few years,” she said. “These kids in what they’re making in college these days is insane, and it’s probably more than what I was making.

“Young women are beginning to build their brands in college and bringing that to the WNBA. We are in the biggest moment in WNBA history. There’s no denying that, everybody knows that.”

Clark missed the last 19 regular-season games and the Fever’s spirited playoff run because of a right groin strain and a bone bruise in her left ankle. She said that although it was “probably one of the worst sprains I’ve ever dealt with,” it is “very reasonable” that she could be back to five-on-five play by the end of October.

Asked where she might play during the long WNBA offseason, Clark demurred, smiling as she said she’ll look at all opportunities. She did mention that USA Basketball would likely be her top priority.

Otherwise, Clark’s focus seems to be on the WNBA, with CBA negotiations looming.

“I want the league to be something kids and adults — everyone — can be proud of,” she said. “I hope that’s what my legacy can be.”

Clark’s teammate Lexie Hull, an alternate team representative in CBA negotiations, also spoke about the future of the WNBA. Neither player sounded as if a strike or lockout would benefit anyone.

“We’re still headed forward and up,” Hull said. “The growth of the sport has shown you can’t set a bar because we continue to reach farther and expand. It’s so exciting to be a player at this pivotal time in the sport.

“I’m really hopeful that will be valued, especially with CBA negotiations coming up. We’ll see how the league values us as players and as drivers of that growth.”

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese says she has apologized to her teammates for a Chicago Tribune article in which she criticized the organization and indicated she might eventually leave the team “if things don’t pan out.”

Following the Sky’s 88-64 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday night, Reese was asked by a reporter about the frustration she seemed to express in the article, which was published earlier that day.

“I don’t think I’m frustrated. I probably am frustrated [with] myself right now,” Reese said during a postgame news conference.“I think the language is taken out of context, and I really didn’t intentionally mean to put down my teammates, because they’ve been through this with me throughout the whole year. They’ve busted their a—, just how I bust my a—, they showed up for me through thick and thin, and in the locker room when nobody could see anything.

“So I would apologize to my teammates, which I already have, about the article and how it was misconstrued about what was said, and I just have to be better with my language because I know it’s not the message, it’s the messenger and understanding what I say can be taken any kind of way so I just have to be better and grow from this.”

First-year coach Tyler Marsh told reporters he spoke with Reese concerning the article before the game.

“That will stay between me and Angel,” Marsh said of that discussion. “But I think that everyone had their opportunities to speak. And we’ll leave it at that.”

Selected by Chicago at No. 7 overall in the 2024 draft, Reese averaged 13.6 points and a league-record 131 rebounds and finished second to Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever in voting for rookie of the year . This year, Reese is averaging 14.7 points and 12.6 rebounds and was an All-Star selection for the second time.

The Sky, however, have missed the playoffs both years. They finished 13-27 in 2024 and are currently 10-30 with four games remaining this season. Injuries were a factor this year — star point guard Courtney Vandersloot suffered a season-ending ACL injury after seven games and Reese missed three weeks with a back injury — but Reese told the Tribune that the organization needs to do better.

“I’m not settling for the same s— we did this year,” Reese said. “We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me.

“I’m willing and wanting to play with the best. And however I can help to get the best here, that’s what I’m going to do this offseason. So it’s going to be very, very important this offseason to make sure we attract the best of the best because we can’t settle for what we have this year.”

Reese’s rookie contract with the Sky runs through the 2027 season, with the final year being a team option.

“I’d like to be here for my career, but if things don’t pan out, obviously I might have to move in a different direction and do what’s best for me,” Reese told the Tribune. “But while I am here, I’m going to try to stay open-minded about what I have here and maximize that as much as I can.”

The Tribune also stated that Reese wants Marsh to coach players harder.

“I think that everyone is entitled to feel how they feel,” Marsh said of that portion of the article. “For me, the most important thing is staying authentic and genuine to who I am and have that translate in whatever way it translates.

“But I think the overarching theme is that none of us are happy with where we’re at in terms of what our record has been. That’s the core of where frustration is organizationally. We’ve just got to continue to finish this season strong.”

When Candace Parker was on the court, the Sparks were dominant. On the afternoon her jersey was retired, they had a chance to channel that energy — but the Sparks were anything but overpowering.

In a matchup between the two franchises Parker led to WNBA titles — the Sparks and Chicago Sky — her hometown team played spoiler, earning a 92-85 victory at Crypto.com Arena.

Angel Reese, the self-proclaimed queen of “Mebounds,” proved too much for L.A. to handle — for the second time in five days.

Reese finished with 16 rebounds, including four on the offensive glass. Her impact extended beyond the boards, with Reese adding 24 points and seven assists.

Entering the game, Sparks coach Lynne Roberts praised Reese as “elite,” underscoring her high motor and physicality, adding that the Sparks would need to be the aggressors to slow her down.

But they were out-hustled and out-muscled down the final stretch of the game.

“We just got to be tougher,” Roberts said. “Sustain runs, handle adversity, performance issues, bad calls — whatever.”

For the Sparks, it was a must-win game — not only to build on their recent 85–75 win over the Indiana Fever, but also to avoid spoiling Parker’s retirement celebration.

“We would have loved [to have won],” Roberts added. “I think we all wanted that win for her, so it’s disappointing — it’s kind of extra disappointing.”

Sparks guard Kelsey Plum (10) draws a foul while driving in front of Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese Sunday at Crytpo.com Arena.

(Jessie Alcheh / Associated Press)

While the Sparks (5-12) struggled against Reese for most of the game, forward Emma Cannon gave L.A. a surge off the bench. Undersized Cannon made life difficult for Reese during key stretches, drawing a technical foul during a tense third-quarter exchange in the post.

Cannon’s second-half performance briefly turned the tide. With the Sparks trailing by 12 — their largest deficit of the game — Cannon helped fuel a 24–5 run that put L.A. ahead 60–53. She finished with a season-high 15 points in four minutes.

But the Sky didn’t go away. By the end of the third, the Sparks led just 62–61 — and in the fourth, Chicago closed strong. Behind Reese, the Sky ballooned the lead back to double digits — 82–72 — too much for the Sparks to overcome.

“We have to learn how to finish games, and it’s not necessarily what the other team does,” Cannon said. “It’s just about us actually digging in and buying in and finishing it.”

A rally in the final minutes, led by Kelsey Plum, Azurá Stevens and Dearica Hamby, fell short.

Plum (22 points), Stevens (17 points) and Hamby (20 points) accounted for the bulk of the Sparks’ offense, combining for 59 of the team’s 85 points.

“It’s a choice when you’re hit with adversity or you lose, when you don’t perform the way you want to,” Roberts said on learning lessons from losses. “It’s a choice as to how you approach it, and there is no magic formula.”

Parker honored

The game was a tribute to Parker. At the arena entrance, fans were greeted by a purple and gold floral arrangement shaped like the No. 3. Video messages from Lakers legends, including Magic Johnson and Michael Cooper, played throughout the festivities.

Before Parker received a thunderous ovation as her No. 3 jersey was revealed in the rafters, she addressed the fans.

“They say athletes have two deaths — one being when your career ends — but I look at it as two lives,” Parker said during her halftime speech. “It’s never easy to put the ball down and move from your first love. That’s something I learned throughout my career here through basketball, and I’m going to carry it into the next phase of life.”

Former Sparks star Candace Parker waves while standing beside her family during her jersey retirement ceremony Sunday at Crypto.com Arena.

(Jessie Alcheh / Associated Press)

Before the game, she also reflected on the full-circle moment — standing in the same arena where she won her first WNBA championship, fittingly against her hometown team, the Chicago Sky. She won a title with the Sky in 2021 and will see her jersey retired by the franchise this August.

“Seeing the No. 3 in the rafters where I first picked up the ball, and where is home now, is incredible,” Parker said. “It’s about dreams and opportunity. … So I hope that that inspires those little girls out there.”

Her jersey is just the third retired in Sparks history, joining former teammate Leslie’s No. 9 and longtime general manager Penny Toler’s No. 11.

“When it was time for me to say goodbye, I knew when I handed the keys to Candace Parker,” said Leslie, who introduced Parker during the halftime jersey retirement ceremony. “She not only took the key to the building — but she ran with it.”

CHICAGO — Kamilia Cardoso scored a career-high 27 points, Angel Reese had a double-double and the Chicago Sky beat the Sparks 97-86 on Tuesday night.

Reese finished with 18 points and 17 rebounds. Ariel Atkins scored 13 points for the Sky (4-10).

Chicago took its first lead, 74-72, at 7:23 of the fourth quarter on a driving layup by Cardoso and outscored the Sparks 30-17 in the final period.

Azura Stevens scored 21 points and Kelsey Plum had 20 for the Sparks (4-11), who lost their fourth straight. Dearica Hamby had 15 points and Rickea Jackson 11.

Cardoso followed her tiebreaking basket with a short jump shot, and moments later added a free throw to make it 77-72, and Chicago’s lead increased from there.

Cardoso will miss the next four games playing for her Brazilian national team at a tournament in Chile. The Sky also announced veteran point guard Courtney Vandersloot had successful ACL surgery on her right knee.

The Sparks took control early, jumping out to a 10-2 lead in less than 90 seconds and had a 27-17 advantage after one quarter. Chicago cut the deficit to 31-28 early in the second quarter before the Sparks surged again, going up 44-32 . The Sky rallied again, getting to within 48-42 at halftime.

In the closing minutes of the third quarter, Rebecca Allen made a three-pointer and a runner, tying the score at 65-65 and 67-67, but the Sky never led. Plum’s basket in the last minute of the third gave the Sparks a 69-67 lead heading into the fourth.