Sabrina Ionescu Hypes Up Sky's Angel Reese's 'Iconic' News
Angel Reese is making the most of every moment in her rookie career and her latest move screams success. On June 9, NBA 2K revealed its WNBA Edition cover for 2K26, and front and center was Reese driving towards the basket. That alone would’ve been a major headline, but she took things a step further by using the moment to debut her brand-new Reebok signature sneaker, instantly turning the cover into a flex on her massive career milestones.
It’s not every day you get your own video game cover and your own shoe, let alone at the same time, but that’s the kind of year Reese is having. The rookie is setting the tone and the league’s biggest stars are taking notice. By landing the 2K cover, she joins an exclusive club that includes WNBA icons like Candace Parker, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, A’ja Wilson, and Sabrina Ionescu, all names that have helped elevate the game over the years. Now, it’s Reese’s turn to carry that torch, and she’s doing it in a way that feels uniquely hers.
One of the first to publicly show love was New York Liberty star Ionescu, who knows exactly what it means to be in Reese’s shoes. Ionescu was the WNBA cover athlete for 2K24 and still remembers what the moment meant for her and her family. Speaking after practice on July 11, she shared how excited she was to see Reese have her own moment so early in her career.
“Knowing the significance and the importance of how cool it is to be on the cover of 2K, like, video games are played worldwide,” Ionescu said, via an X post from New York Post reporter Madeline Kenney.
“Everyone knows who's on the cover every single year. There's this anticipation and I'm really happy for her to be able to see her kind of get her flowers so early on in her career just knowing that I was able to be on it and how much that meant for my family.”
Sabrina Ionescu said it was iconic the way Angel Reese debuted her signature shoe on the cover of NBA2K26.
— Madeline Kenney (@madkenney) July 11, 2025
"I feel like it was knocking two birds with one stone," she said.
More of what Sab said after practice today: pic.twitter.com/ITaH1XXUwV
Being on the cover of 2K isn’t just about bragging rights but moreso the representation and visibility that come along with it. And when you pair that kind of exposure with a signature sneaker launch, it turns into something bigger. Reese has been building her brand since LSU and now she's becoming one of the faces of the league, doing it with style and clear vision for who she is and where she’s going.
Women’s sports are rapidly growing and are being fueled by electric rookie classes and young stars, and the 2K26 WNBA Edition cover athlete is one of the leaders driving that momentum. Her success on and off the courts is helping inspire the next wave of growth and is pushing the sport to keep evolving.
It’s hard to think of a more iconic way to announce a sneaker than plastering it across the front of one of the most played sports video games in the world, and it’s even better when the league’s biggest names are showing love right away. Reese owned the moment and made sure everyone felt it alongside her—just like she’s done every step of the way.
Abby Dixon brings seven years of expertise in game analysis, player performance, and trades to her coverage. Before freelancing for various outlets, she launched her sports writing career with Emmy award-winning Met Media, a student-run news organization for MSU Denver. Among these, her work with Sportsnaut allowed her to hone her skills and discover a true passion for football writing — a focus she now brings to her coverage for New York Giants On SI.