Chicago Sky star Angel Reese may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but she has had one big supporter in fellow LSU alum Shaquille O’Neal. O’Neal has often come to her defense in difficult moments, and Reese spoke glowingly about him on Netflix’s Power Moves with Shaquille O’Neal.
“Shaq is an important person in my life,” Reese said. “He’s like unc. He’s like a friend. He’s like a father figure. He’s just somebody that really cares for me. So, what’s important to him is important to me.”
The love is very much mutual. O’Neal stated that Reese is like a daughter to him, and just like every father figure, he can be fiercely protective at times.
O’Neal once threatened to punch former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III if he disrespected Reese again. He warned Griffin to leave her alone and revealed that he had told her not to engage with fools like him.
Reese has had to deal with a lot of hate in recent years, and all this began after she infamously taunted Caitlin Clark during the 2023 NCAA championship game between LSU and Iowa. O’Neal defended her after she was called classless for that act, and it was clear from back then that he wouldn’t tolerate disrespect.
Reese and LSU beat Clark and Iowa that day to win the national title. In O’Neal’s mind, that made her the greatest athlete to come out of LSU, even over him.
Following her stellar college career, Reese headed to the WNBA, and she was selected by the Sky with the seventh pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She made the All-Star team in her first season and finished runner-up for Rookie of the Year.
Reese’s sophomore season didn’t get off to the best of starts, but she eventually got back on track. The 23-year-old averaged 14.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game in 2025.
The campaign did hit a sour note, though. Reese threw her teammates under the bus amid the Sky’s struggles and had to apologize for her comments. She was later suspended by the team, and there is some chatter now about her being traded. That would be a very bold move on the Sky’s part.
While Reese’s partnership with the Sky could end soon, the one with Reebok won’t. She was pushed to sign with the sneaker brand by O’Neal, who became their president of basketball in 2023. Reese’s first signature shoe, The Angel Reese 1, was launched on Thursday, and it reportedly sold out within hours.
