College basketball star Angel Reese hasn’t forgotten about her old stomping grounds.
The LSU Tigers forward recently donated $12,000 donation to her old high school, St. Frances Academy in Baltimore. According to Sports Illustrated, the donation will go toward tuition for a member of the school’s girls’ basketball team. Reese was given similar financial assistance during her four years at the school.
Reese’s mother posted about her daughter’s donation to St. Francis on social media. “This is the same fund that covered Angel’s tuition all 4 years as a student at SFA,” she shared. According to the elder Reese, this is her daughter’s way of “paying it forward.”
ESPN reported that Reese graduated high school as a top-five recruit in the class of 2020. Also, in that class? Caitlin Clark, Reese’s nemesis from the University of Iowa.
Since Reese’s rise to fame following LSU’s national championship win this spring, the athlete has been dedicated to giving back to the community. The “Bayou Barbie” launched the Angel C. Reese Foundation to empower young girls and women to achieve all-around success in sports by providing education, financial literacy, and other resources. Participants have an opportunity to participate in basketball camps and receive scholarships.
“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 statement obtained by Essence.
Reese’s estimated NIL evaluation reached over $1 million this year following her recognition as Most Outstanding Player in the Women’s Final Four, according to Sports Illustrated.
Ahead of her 21st birthday, Reese signed an endorsement deal in May with a Baton Rouge Mercedes-Benz dealership. She thanked Mercedes Benz of Baton Rouge for helping her purchase her new car along with the Bayou Collective and MatchPoint Connection marketplace.
BIG BODY BENZ BARBIE! 👀💖Why not get a new car when it’s your 21st birthday week??? 🥳Thank you @mercedesbenzbatonrouge for helping me purchase my NEW CAR!! I wouldn’t be the BAYOU BARBIE without @matchpconnect @bayoutraditions #BAYOUBARBIETURNS21 #GODDID pic.twitter.com/EF2ERqVruq
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) May 1, 2023
Reese has landed other endorsement deals with major names such as TurboTax, McDonald’s, Bose, JanSport, Xfinity, and Outback Steakhouse. Her NIL ventures have brought in an estimated $392,000.