The Bayou Barbie is paying it forward.
After amassing incredible success on and off the court over the last few years, Louisiana State University basketball star Angel Reese has launched her own foundation empowering girls and women through sports and financial literacy, and education.
The announcement came during a fireside chat with sports journalist Taylor Rooks at the annual Variety + Sportico Sports and Entertainment Summit.
“The Angel C. Reese Foundation will aim to foster equity for girls and underrepresented groups through innovative and impactful initiatives, develop practical solutions to overcome systemic challenges and provide comprehensive resources that empower a new generation of girls to excel in sports and successfully transition to the real world,” according to a new release shared with ESSENCE. The organization will offer girls basketball camps, financial literacy programs, scholarships, holiday events, and ongoing community programming beginning August 19.
Reese first rose to fame after leading the LSU Lady Tigers to a national championship earlier this year, and has since banked millions of dollars from smart partnerships and brand deals.
As ESSENCE previously reported, Reese shared with sports podcast I Am Athlete, that she’s achieved considerable success, more than some of her slightly older peers.
“The money I’m making is more than some of the people that are in the league that might be top players.”
She’s been in the headlines for her heroic performance in the NCAA 2023 national championship against the Iowa Hawkeyes, which was was the most-watched women’s college basketball game, drawing in 9.9 million viewers, per The New York Times.