Louisiana State University basketball player Angel Reese’s parents ignited her love for the sport

John Salangsang/Shutterstock

Angel Reese and her mother Angel Webb Reese at the 2023 ESPYS on July 12, 2023 in Los Angeles, CA.
Angel Reese got more than just her name from her parents — she also inherited their athleticism.

The Louisiana State University basketball star was born to Michael Reese and Angel Webb Reese on May 6, 2002, in Randallstown, Maryland. Her younger brother, Julian, also plays basketball at the collegiate level.

The sport runs in the family, as both of Angel’s parents were basketball players while the

y were in college. Angel’s mom even embarked on a professional career in Luxembourg.

“She’s always been independent and she molded that into me,” she told Just Women’s Sports in January 2023. “I am who I am because of her.”

Related: All About Angel Reese’s Brother Julian Reese

From raising her to be a basketball player to supporting her college career, here’s everything to know about Angel Reese’s parents.

They raised their family in Maryland

Angel Reese X

Angel Reese and her mom Angel Webb Reese when Angel was a child.
Angel was raised in Randallstown, Maryland, and grew up playing basketball at Saint Frances Academy, a Catholic school in Baltimore, Maryland.

“Our school was literally across the street from a prison,” she told Women’s Health in February 2024. “I was lucky enough to have skills and be able to make it out of there.”

Both of Angel’s parents played basketball

Angel Reese X

Angel Reese and her mom Angel Webb Reese celebrating an LSU win.
Angel’s talent comes from her parents, both of whom played collegiate and professional basketball. Her mom played for the University of Maryland before going professional in Luxembourg, while Michael played for Boston College before he transferred to Loyola University in Maryland and played overseas, per ESPN.

Her mom was the one who motivated Angel to start playing the sport after she watched her play when she was young.

“I used to go to my mom’s games when I was younger,” she told Just Women’s Sports. “She used to play in a little league, and I used to always go watch her games on Sundays. That was something that was always inspiring to me.”

They have two children

Angel Reese X

Angel Reese with her mom Angel Webb Reese and brother Julian Reese celebrating his commitment to the University of Maryland.
Michael and Webb Reese welcomed Angel on May 6, 2002, and her brother, Julian, a year later on June 6, 2003. Angel and Julian were competitive growing up, with the former deciding to pursue basketball simply because she wanted to be better than her brother, she told Women’s Health.

“Everything was always competitive with my younger brother,” Angel told What’s Up? in March 2022. “We had a basketball court in front of our house, and it was always very competitive and intense. We played all the time together. It helped shape me to who I am now.”

Both Angel and Julian followed in their parents’ footsteps playing basketball for Maryland schools, and even both played for the University of Maryland at a time until Angel transferred to LSU.

They split when Angel was young

Angel Reese X

Angel Reese and her mom Angel Webb Reese celebrating her high school graduation.
Webb Reese raised both her children as a single mom, and Angel credits her for a lot of her upbringing. Though the athlete had a number of Division I offers, she ultimately decided to go to the University of Maryland so it would be easier for her family to attend games — and so she could have a free ride, thanks to her scholarship.

“My mom worked hard [when I was] growing up, raising us by herself,” Angel told Women’s Health. “So that was my payback to her.”

People have confused Angel and Webb Reese because they share a name

Angel Reese X

Angel Reese and her mom Angel Webb Reese taking a selfie together.
Webb Reese passed on both her name and athletic skills to Angel, which has led to some mixups from the young athlete’s fans.

In March 2023, Webb Reese cleared up some of the confusion on X (formerly known as Twitter) when she announced that some young men seemed to be messaging her when they intended to send something to her daughter.

“I am getting some crazy dating requests from men my kid’s age who clearly by the content of msg think they’re sending it to lil A,” she wrote.

Angel said she owes her confidence to her mom

Angel Reese X

Angel Reese with her mom Angel Webb Reese when she was a child.
In an April 2023 interview with ESPN, Angel credited her mom for instilling confidence in her from a young age by showing her how independent a woman could be, especially as she raised her two kids by herself.

“Looking at her and seeing how she never backed down to anything. She always stood her ground for everything, she worked super hard for me and my brother to get in this position,” she said. “Being able to just look at her and say ‘Mom, you showed me. You paved the way for me.’ “