Angel Reese Declares ‘This Is Just the Beginning’ While Accepting the Style Influencer of the Year Award at FNAA 2024
Although her confidence is unwavering in seemingly everything she does, WNBA star Angel Reese shared a vulnerable moment on stage Wednesday night at Cipriani South Street in New York at the 38th annual FN Achievement Awards.
“I’m 22 years old, I’m still figuring life out, but this is just the beginning,” Reese said while accepting her Style Influencer of the Year award.
However, if she needed a reminder of all the incredible things that she accomplished in 2024, multihyphenate Tobe Nwigwe was there to run down many of her accolades.
“I’m here to present the FN Style Influencer of the Year award to a woman that has had a monumental year,” Nwigwe said. “She’s a WNBA All-Star, we are both part of the Reebok family, she’s an entrepreneur, fashion influencer and inspiration to the next generation. She is unapologetically herself on and off the court. She continues to carve out her own place in the world, and fans worldwide have embraced her for her outspoken personality, authenticity and a dedication to the game.”
After thanking her family for their consistent and unwavering support, the Chicago Sky forward shared her gratitude for Reebok, the athletic brand that has backed her since 2023.
“I want to give a huge shout out to Reebok for just believing in me and bringing my vision to life, for everything I ever wanted to do with them and am continuing to do with them. My dreams have already come true. They’ve given me the platform to be myself, unapologetically myself,” Reese said.
With more people than ever before tuning into the WNBA this past season, Reese solidified herself both as a force on the basketball court and as a certified style star off of it.
Specifically with Reebok, she launched her first collection with the athletic brand, dubbed Reebok by Angel, in July. The collection featured several performance and lifestyle selections, including new-look versions of the BB 4000 II, the Premier Road VI and the Classic Leather.
Also, Reese debuted the Engine A on the court in August. The model is Reebok’s first performance basketball shoe release since the early 2010s.
Perhaps most importantly, both Reese and Reebok teased a signature shoe that will arrive in 2026.
Aside from her work with Reebok, Reese’s undeniable influence was quickly recognized as soon as she arrived in the pros. The Chicago Sky forward’s fans almost immediately adopted the moniker, “Reese’s Pieces,” which was also noticed by the iconic Hershey Company candy. This led to multiple limited-edition collection of apparel that was eaten up by her legions of fans.
She has also made inroads in the world of high fashion. For instance, she attended several industry events, such as the Met Gala in May, the CFDA Fashion Awards in October, a pre-Olympics event at Fondation Louis Vuitton in July and the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in October.
For 38 years, the annual FN Achievement Awards — often called the “Shoe Oscars” — have celebrated the style stars, best brand stories, ardent philanthropists, emerging talents and industry veterans. The 2024 event is supported by sponsors Listrak, Marc Fisher, Nordstrom and Vibram.
