Angel Reese was born to be a basketball player, as both her parents played college ball. Reese’s mom, Angel Webb Reese, played for the University of Maryland, and her father, Michael Reese, played for Boston College before transferring to Loyola University in Maryland. Although both her parents were basketball players, Angel has been notably biased, often crediting her mom over her dad for inspiring her passion for the sport. She told Just Women’s Sports in 2023, “I used to go to my mom’s games when I was younger. She used to play in a little league, and I used to always go watch her games on Sundays. That was something that was always inspiring to me.” However, the reason she praises her mom more than her dad is because her parents split when she was young, and her mom took on the responsibility of raising Angel and her sibling.
She told ESPN First Take in April 2023, “My mom is a single mom. She’s really independent. She raised me and my brother by herself.” Angel knows her mom sacrificed a lot to provide for her and the entire family, so when she earned a basketball scholarship, it was in honor of her mom. She explained to Women’s Health in February 2024, “My mom worked hard (when I was growing up), raising us by herself. So that was my payback to her.”
