New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu Celebrates Chicago Sky's Angel Reese's Accomplishments

WNBA star Angel Reese has been named the cover athlete for the NBA 2K26 WNBA Edition video game and simultaneously previewed her first signature shoe, the Reebok Angel Reese 1, on the cover. The reveal occurred on July 9th.

Sabrina Ionescu, the New York Liberty guard who was the cover athlete for the 2024 WNBA edition of NBA 2K, publicly praised Reese for these honors. Ionescu emphasized the global significance and anticipation surrounding the 2K cover, stating she was "really happy" for Reese to "get her flowers so early on in her career." She recalled how meaningful her own cover moment was.

Reese's cover image features her driving to the basket wearing her signature shoes. Reebok had announced her multi-year shoe deal extension in October 2024. On July 9th, Reebok also unveiled the "Diamond Dust" colorway of the Angel Reese 1, though an official release date is not yet set.

Ionescu called the dual announcement "iconic," describing it as "knocking two birds with one stone" to showcase the shoe Reese worked on for a long time. She expressed enthusiasm about seeing more WNBA players receive signature shoes, affirming Reese is "well deserved" of the honor.

The article notes this trend, mentioning Las Vegas Aces' A'ja Wilson (Nike), Ionescu's Liberty teammate Breanna Stewart (Puma), and Ionescu herself, who is releasing her third Nike signature shoe (Sabrina 3s) on July 24th.

Ionescu is recognized for consistently praising the new generation of WNBA players, including Caitlin Clark and Sonia Citron. This is highlighted as the upcoming July 19th WNBA All-Star Game will feature three rookies for the first time since 2011. Ionescu will play alongside Citron and Kiki Iriafen on Team Clark, while Reese (a second-year player) and Paige Bueckers will play for Team Collier.

The summary concludes by noting Ionescu, the 2020 WNBA Draft's first overall pick, is entering her prime at 27 years old. Coming off her first WNBA Championship in 2024 and career highs in points and steals, she has secured a starting spot in the All-Star Game.