Angel Reese unveils custom Barbie shoes in first WNBA matchup against rival Caitlin Clark

Collegiate rivals met each other on the hardwood once again, but this time, Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark did battle at the professional level. Reese and Clark were both highly-touted prospects heading into the WNBA Draft, with Clark’s star power from her days at Iowa eclipsing her contemporaries. Nevertheless, Angel Reese didn’t do too bad for herself either, as she was selected with the 7th overall pick by the Chicago Sky.

Unfortunately for Reese and company, her Chicago Sky squad were handed a narrow loss at the hands of Caitlin Clark, with the final score reading a 71-70 win in favor of the Indiana Fever on June 1st. The Fever have had a tough start to the 2024 regular season, as their win over the Sky marked the first victory on home court, and just their second win overall on the season. Reese lost on that night, but she still pulled up to the game with a fashion statement in mind, by unveiling a custom pair of Barbie-themed Reebok Solution sneakers.

Angel Reese lived up to her Barbie nickname with a lavish set of custom Barbie-inspired Reebok sneakers.

The Barbie motif is fitting for Angel Reese seeing as she’s been referred to as the “Bayou Barbie”, but the change in scenery has now seen her christened the “Chi Barbie” and even “Big Time Barbie”. It doesn’t seem to matter what iteration of the Barbie moniker surrounds Angel Reese, it will always be a character closely linked with her throughout her career.

The special-edition set of kicks is the work of sneaker artist Marvin Baroota, owner of SoLegit Customs. Taking a majority pink hue with white underlays and a gum sole, the custom Barbie Reeboks are also bedazzled in gem stones and feature two different Barbie logos printed on each pair. Although this was the first showcase of this particular pair for Angel Reese, she had previously donned another player-exclusive “Chi Barbie” sneaker also created by Baroota earlier in the season.

Reese also made headlines for comments made during a Chicago Sky media scrum, where she expressed frustration over the WNBA’s rise in success being attributed to “one person”. It’s largely believed Reese was throwing shots at her rival Caitlin Clark. The discourse surrounding Reese's comments varied from people sympathizing with her to labeling her as "jealous" and a "villain" or "bad guy". It didn't seem to faze Reese as she was more than willing to speak her mind, it's just the interpretation of her comments might've rubbed some people the wrong way.

Nevertheless, there's no denying Angel Reese is one of the WNBA's rising stars. Sure, does Caitlin Clark receive preferential treatment? There's an argument to be made there. But, Angel Reese should be able to carve out a pretty successful career for herself without having to be casted under the shadow of her heated rival. One thing is for sure. The WNBA is in good hands with their recent set of young talents.