Angel Reese is one of the most polarizing figures in the WNBA today, and you can’t deny it. This girl, through her own actions (most of the time), has the ability to create a MULTITUDE of different reactions from fans all across the globe. It doesn’t matter if you hate her, love her, think she sucks, or think she’s the greatest of all time; this woman gets clicks on the internet. End of story.

The “Queen of the Mebounds” is basically an overrated female version of Dennis Rodman. But when I saw that the Chicago Sky Forward was selected to be the cover athlete for the WNBA Edition of NBA 2K26, I couldn’t help but think; “WOW! That is GENIUS marketing by 2K.”

🗣️ She’s got next

Angel Reese is your #NBA2K26 WNBA Edition Cover Athlete!

Pre-order NBA 2K26 now! pic.twitter.com/TdwIapG1xU

— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) July 9, 2025

To the person who made the decision…..I tip my hat to you. As someone who graduated with a degree in Marketing, I couldn’t help but swoon over this MASTERCLASS that was set loose on the world.

Why is that, you may ask? Well just think about it; from a basketball point of view, we all know that Caitlin Clark should’ve been given the cover. The former Iowa Hawkeye is a better player than Angel, and her star-power is on another level right now. She would’ve been the “obvious pick” in ANY normal fan’s mind. She is the reason why the WNBA is on fire right now, and why they have more eyeballs on their product than ever before.

BUT…..the “obvious” play doesn’t create controversy nowadays. The “obvious” pick doesn’t create as much of a “buzz,” if you catch my drift? That is where Angel comes into play.

If you look at social media right now, you will see what I mean. When the news broke about the former LSU Tiger getting the cover, everyone on Twitter decided to collectively chime in on the matter. There were people from all walks of life, and both sides of the aisle (Angel Reese vs. Caitlin Clark), giving their takes on why Angel should/shouldn’t have been given this honor.

It has been a complete firestorm……and that is probably how 2K wants it. All this company had to do was post ONE TWEET, and let the rest of the world do the work for them. It didn’t matter if fans had “positive takes” or “negative takes,” every reaction from every fan just turned into more promotion for the upcoming game.

It was a phenomenon that wouldn’t have happened if Caitlin Clark was on the cover. If anything, the response would’ve been about as bland as a G-rated Katt Williams special.

Granted, do I know FOR SURE that this was the company’s marketing strategy? No! But when you look at the outcome…..it’s pretty obvious. Angel Reese was a marketing tool. She wasn’t picked because of her “talents” on the court. She was picked because she would create the biggest reaction.

But in the end though, as always…..what do I know? I’m just a guy from the Midwest, with a beer and a laptop, trying to make sense of this world.