For months, Angel Reese was hailed as the future of women’s basketball—a generational player with charisma, talent, and the swagger to energize an entire league. Drafted by the Chicago Sky, she carried with her the hopes of a franchise desperate to climb back into contention. To her fans, she was more than an athlete: she was a brand, a symbol, and a promise of what the WNBA could become in the new era of social media-fueled stardom.
