:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(971x465:973x467):format(webp)/angel-reese-parents-1-ef6bc3de9bc94abba8c4b6d2eb9e74c1.jpg)
Angel Reese got more than just her name from her parents — she also inherited their athleticism.
The Chicago Sky basketball star was born to Michael Reese and Angel Webb Reese on May 6, 2002, in Randallstown, Md. Her younger brother, Julian, also plays basketball at the collegiate level.
The sport runs in the family, as both of Angel’s parents were basketball players while they were in college. Angel’s mom even embarked on a professional career in Luxembourg.
“She’s always been independent and she molded that into me,” she told Just Women’s Sports in January 2023. “I am who I am because of her.”
In April 2024, Angel was drafted by the WNBA’s Chicago Sky after a successful collegiate career at the University of Maryland and Louisianna State University.
From raising her to be a basketball player to supporting her professional career, here’s everything to know about Angel Reese’s parents.
They raised their family in Maryland
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(997x0:999x2):format(webp)/angel-reese-parents-2-8bad0fe97c754999b5cea3a938350427.jpg)
Angel was raised in Randallstown, Md., and grew up playing basketball at Saint Frances Academy, a Catholic school in Baltimore.
“Our school was literally across the street from a prison,” she told Women’s Health in February 2024. “I was lucky enough to have skills and be able to make it out of there.”
Both of Angel’s parents played basketball
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(752x0:754x2):format(webp)/angel-reese-parents-4-976456a9ac5842fa93ab04b4a25e5d1e.jpg)
Angel’s talent comes from her parents, both of whom played collegiate and professional basketball. Her mom played for the University of Maryland before going professional in Luxembourg, while Michael played for Boston College before he transferred to Loyola University in Maryland and played overseas, per ESPN.
Her mom was the one who motivated Angel to start playing the sport after she watched her play when she was young.
“I used to go to my mom’s games when I was younger,” she told Just Women’s Sports. “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.”
They have two children
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/angel-reese-parents-3-c70a55b496a246fa828d7032832934f7.jpg)
Michael and Webb Reese welcomed Angel on May 6, 2002, and her brother, Julian, a year later on June 6, 2003. Angel and Julian were competitive growing up, with the former deciding to pursue basketball simply because she wanted to be better than her brother, she told Women’s Health.
“Everything was always competitive with my younger brother,” Angel told What’s Up? in March 2022. “We had a basketball court in front of our house, and it was always very competitive and intense. We played all the time together. It helped shape me to who I am now.”
Julian currently plays for the University of Maryland. Angel played for Maryland during her collegiate career before transferring to LSU, where she helped lead the team to a national championship in 2023.
They split when Angel was young
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(760x0:762x2):format(webp)/angel-reese-parents-5-469be08310c54d79ad551e0fd8755e1d.jpg)
Webb Reese raised both her children as a single mom, and Angel credits her for a lot of her upbringing. Though the athlete had a number of Division I offers, she ultimately decided to go to the University of Maryland so it would be easier for her family to attend games — and so she could have a free ride, thanks to her scholarship.
“My mom worked hard [when I was] growing up, raising us by herself,” Angel told Women’s Health. “So that was my payback to her.”
People have confused Angel and Webb Reese because they share a name
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/angel-reese-parents-6-2d7d1f11486c4d198fb89a6f98d2c714.jpg)
Webb Reese passed on both her name and athletic skills to Angel, which has led to some mixups from the young athlete’s fans.
In March 2023, Webb Reese cleared up some of the confusion on X (formerly known as Twitter) when she announced that some young men seemed to be messaging her when they intended to send something to her daughter.
“I am getting some crazy dating requests from men my kid’s age who clearly by the content of msg think they’re sending it to lil A,” she wrote.
Angel said she owes her confidence to her mom
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/angel-reese-parents-7-97554802ecb247a1b31e73ddcd9c17cc.jpg)
In an April 2023 interview with ESPN, Angel credited her mom for instilling confidence in her from a young age by showing her how independent a woman could be, especially as she raised her two kids by herself.
“Looking at her and seeing how she never backed down to anything. She always stood her ground for everything, she worked super hard for me and my brother to get in this position,” she said. “Being able to just look at her and say ‘Mom, you showed me. You paved the way for me.’ “
Angel paid off her mom’s mortgage
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(677x266:679x268):format(webp)/angel-reese-mom-013125-1-cec2c9189f1140b789cc38cdbe7252cd.jpg)
During a January 2025 episode of her YouTube show, Unapologetically Angel, the WNBA star surprised her mom by paying off her mortgage.
“You said that if your mortgage was paid off you would retire. Your mortgage today has been paid,” Angel said. “Happy birthday.”
Webb tearfully responded, “Oh my goodness! Thank you.”
