When Angel Reese elected to leave LSU and declare for the WNBA Draft, some fans questioned her decision from a financial perspective.

With the current NIL landscape in college athletics, many were under the impression that Reese would ultimately be taking a pay cut to join the WNBA.

During a recent interview with ESPN’s Michele Steele, Reese made sure to make it clear that that’s not the case.

“I mean, obviously, people thought me leaving college–I would take a huge pay gap and pay drop,” the Chicago Sky rookie said. “I wasn’t getting paid in college, so that check that I do get here is a bonus. I mean, being able to play for what, four to five months, and get $75,000 on top of the other endorsements that I’m doing, I think it’s a plus for me.”

“I mean, I play the game I love, not for the money, I play because I love basketball and genuinely love basketball,” she continued. “And now that I’m a pro and being able to continue to work with these brands long term, I think that’s something people don’t really realize.”

May 25, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) looks to shoot against the Connecticut Sun during the second half of a WNBA game at Wintrust Arena.

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Reese was dubbed the “NIL Queen” in college, and she’s furthered that reputation with plenty of additional brand deals at the WNBA level.

Reese has countless endorsement deals with major companies like Reebok, PlayStation, Tampax, Coach, Beats by Dre and many more. Her four-year rookie deal with the Sky is worth $343,000.

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“I love that the brands want to work with us and continue to want to work with us,” Reese said. “… I want people to know the deals don’t stop in college when you go to the pros, they continue, and I feel like they’ve even grown even more.”