WNBA rookie star Angel Reese paid homage to Unrivaled League founders Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier by wearing a custom-constructed mashup jersey featuring the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty, who played against each other in the WNBA Finals.
Reese was in attendance for the close-out Game 5 game that crowned the Liberty WNBA champions for the first time since the league’s founding in 1997. New York outlasted the Lynx in overtime, winning 67-62. The Chicago Sky rookie sat courtside, wearing a custom top made from Collier’s No. 24 Explorer Edition Lynx and Stewarts’ No. 30 Liberty jersey from the same collection. The jerseys were deconstructed to feature Collier’s name on the front of the custom top and the Unrivaled Tournament logo.
Reese completed the look with distressed denim shorts and black knee-high boots. As she posed for the camera, she added a green quilted Chanel handbag, an accessory she always reveres on her “Unapologetically Angel” podcast.
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Before the game even tipped off, Reese challenged fashion designers. She tweeted, “Who can make me a half Stewie, half Phee jersey by Sunday?” on X, leaving creators with just three days to whip up a custom piece that would combine the two jerseys. The pressure was on when no one immediately stepped up to the challenge. Reese tweeted, “So I guess nobody can do this for me by tomorrow,” just one day before game time.
Her persistence paid off as custom artist JOCELYN, known for her unique custom jerseys and designs, came to the rescue. The one-of-one customs designer has designed Knicks gear for Spike Lee, who was also in attendance for the win, and has several partnerships, including Google, Adidas, Mitchell & Ness, Powerade, the Knicks, and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury.
Reese’s jersey earned praise online as she sat in attendance with her first-ever head coach, Teresa Weatherspoon, who played seven of her eight WNBA seasons as a member of the Liberty. The Hall of Famer was unexpectedly fired from her role in Chicago, with Reese continuing to praise the impact, leadership, and mentorship that Weatherspoon has had in her life.
Angel Reese supported the Unrivaled League during the WNBA Finals (
Getty)
Reese’s custom jersey paid tribute to Collier and Stewart for their ambitions to create the upcoming 3×3 Unrivaled Basketball league, which will happen during the WNBA off-season in January. The tournament will occur in Miami, Florida, with 30 WNBA’s best players competing, including Stewart, Collier, Reese, and more.
Unrivaled was created to provide an alternate source of income for WNBA players who normally have to go overseas to earn big paydays, pulling them away from their families and friends at home. The league promises to play the highest average salary in women’s sports history and has already secured a brand partnership with TNT Sports.
“Nobody wants to go overseas. A lot of us never wanna have to go overseas, but some people do have to go overseas unfortunately,” said Reese. “Being able to make six figures within three months, being able to be housed in Miami, just being able to get better. Being able to know two great players that are starting something, I think it’s amazing.”
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