July 10, 2025
Angel Reese will grace the cover of NBA 2K26 alongside NBA legend Carmelo Anthony and 2025 NBA champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
WNBA All-Star Angel Reese is taking her talents from the hardwood to the digital screen, as she has officially been named the cover athlete for the WNBA Edition of NBA 2K26, according to July 9 reports. The 23-year-old joins NBA legend Carmelo Anthony and 2025 NBA champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as featured athletes on this year’s release.
“NBA 2K26 is celebrating the bold, the confident, and the visionaries—and WNBA All-Star Angel Reese carries all that on and off the court,” NBA 2K General Manager Zak Armitage said in an exclusive statement to TMZ Sports.
“In her sophomore year in the WNBA, Angel Reese has made waves, created impactful conversations, and inspired the next generation. She’s a storyteller and has helped the WNBA grow its audience,” Armitage continued.
Reese, who was recently named a two-time WNBA All-Star, opened up to PEOPLE about being given the honor.
“I’m so blessed to be honored with these two,” she said, referring to her fellow cover stars. “I was just super excited… just trying to be the first of many, and have many young kids and young women look up to me and know that they can do the same things I’m doing.” Reese added, “The sky’s the limit.”
Reese recently found herself at the center of online discourse and national prominence during the 2023 NCAA tournament, when she led the LSU Tigers to a championship win over Iowa and its star guard, Caitlin Clark.
Reese and Clark’s on-court rivalry, stemming from a tense game and Reese’s viral “you can’t see me” taunt, has sparked a heated debate in the sports world over the two successful women.
The decision to feature Reese on the NBA 2K26 cover over Clark, who has arguably become the most talked-about player in women’s basketball, has reignited conversation among fans and commentators.
While both athletes have a significant impact on the court, the move continues to fuel one of the most high-profile rivalries in the WNBA today.
Regardless of the debate, Reese’s inclusion marks another major milestone in her rapidly rising career and solidifies her place as a defining face of the league’s future, separate from Clark.
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