Top College Basketball NIL Earner Angel Reese Hits 1 Million Instagram Followers

LSU champion Angel Reese is entering a new phase in her college basketball career. The 20-year-old is one of the most sought-after student-athletes in the country, as she has signed the most NIL deals in college basketball. Reese currently boasts 17 deals with brands such as Bose, JanSport and Wingstop.

LSU champion Angel Reese is entering a new phase in her college basketball career. The 20-year-old is one of the most sought-after student-athletes in the country, as she has signed the most NIL deals in college basketball. Reese currently boasts 17 deals with brands such as Bose, JanSport and Wingstop.

Fans can now purchase her official LSU jersey — with profits going toward each player — as well as merchandise she is selling on her website.

Her agent says calls from brands have been rolling in since LSU won the championship against the Iowa Hawkeyes on April 2nd.

“She’s not just a student-athlete anymore or a marketable women’s basketball player where we’re doing these one-off deals,” Jeanine Ogbonnaya told On3. “I think at this point, she’s got the following to back it up where she can be doing long-term partnerships that truly align with her brand and her messaging, and finding those brands that align with that as well.”

Reese is currently eyeing new deals in modeling and in the fashion and lifestyle spaces. On social media, her star power is immediately apparent. In just a few days, Reese hit 1.4 million followers on Instagram and 1,5 million followers on TikTok. The champion counted 450,000 followers on Instagram before March Madness started, according to Sportico.

This has increased the earning potential for sponsored posts to $2,974, an increase of approximately $1,200, according to her website.

Last February, her team put in a trademark application for her nickname, “Bayou Barbie.” They are expected to hear back sometime next year as the process usually takes around 12 months, according to On3.

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Reese’s success is well-deserved for a college athlete of her caliber. The final between LSU and Iowa was the most viewed women’s college basketball game — racking up around 10 million viewers reported Sportico. Reese was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four by the NCAA.

The 20-year-old also went viral for her “You can’t see me” hand gesture and for initially refusing Jill Biden’s invitation to the White House.

“In the beginning, we were hurt — it was emotional because we know how hard we worked all year for everything,” Reese told ESPN. “You don’t get that experience [to go to the White House] ever, and I know my team probably wants to go for sure, and my coaches are supportive of that, so I’m going to do what’s best for the team, and we’ve decided we’re going to go.”

She had initially refused to go as Jill Biden suggested the runners-up would also be invited to the White House, which had never been done before.