People are mean. Honestly, if you spend five minutes on sports Twitter or scrolling through TikTok comments after a Chicago Sky game, you’ll see it. Amid the stats and the highlights, a bizarrely cruel search trend has popped up: angel reese is ugly.
It’s jarring. It’s also completely disconnected from reality.
Angel Reese is a 6-foot-3 powerhouse who just walked the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2025 and graced the cover of Vogue. She has brands like Reebok and Beats by Dre throwing millions at her. So, why are people typing that specific, hurtful phrase into Google?
The "Villain" Narrative and the Price of Confidence
Let’s be real—the hate didn't start because of how Angel looks. It started because of how she plays and how she talks. When Reese did the "You Can't See Me" gesture toward Caitlin Clark during the 2023 National Championship, the internet fractured.
Suddenly, Angel was the "villain."
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In the world of sports, when fans don't like an athlete's personality or their dominance, they go for the lowest hanging fruit: their appearance. It’s a classic, albeit exhausted, tactic. By searching things like angel reese is ugly, critics try to strip away her power. It's a way of saying, "You might be winning, you might be rich, but I can still try to make you feel small."
The "Bayou Barbie" persona actually leans into this. By calling herself a Barbie, Angel reclaimed the narrative of beauty and femininity in a space—professional basketball—that hasn't always been welcoming to it.
Modeling, Vogue, and Shattering Standards
If the "ugly" comments were based on any kind of objective fashion standard, Angel’s resume would have ended them long ago. In early 2025, she became a host committee member for the Met Gala. You don't get that invite by accident.
- The Victoria's Secret Debut: In October 2025, she made history as the first active pro athlete to walk that runway.
- High Fashion: She’s been draped in custom Thom Browne and featured in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.
- The "Chi Barbie" Brand: Her move to the Chicago Sky only amplified her status as a style icon.
Despite these massive wins, the vitriol persists. Why? Because Angel Reese represents a version of Black femininity that is unapologetic, loud, and "too much" for some people. Sociologists often point to "respectability politics"—the idea that Black women should be quiet and modest to be accepted. Angel doesn't do quiet. She wears the long lashes. She keeps the nails sharp. She talks her talk.
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What the Numbers Actually Say
While some trolls are busy typing insults, Angel is busy breaking records. In her 2025 WNBA season, she averaged 12.6 rebounds and 14.7 points per game. She’s the fastest player in league history to hit 500 points and 500 rebounds.
Basically, the "ugly" talk is a distraction from the fact that she is a generational talent.
Brands aren't stupid. They see the engagement. Even the negative searches for angel reese is ugly contribute to her "reach," which was recently estimated at over 11 billion impressions over a three-month period. She has turned the "villain" label into a business empire. She even invested in Topicals, a skincare brand that focuses on chronic skin conditions and textured skin—directly addressing the very beauty standards her critics use against her.
Dealing With the "Dark Side" of Fame
Angel has been open about the toll this takes. She’s mentioned in interviews that she’s received death threats and has been sexualized and insulted since her LSU days. "I'm human," she told reporters.
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It’s easy to forget that behind the "Chi Barbie" branding is a 23-year-old woman. The internet treats athletes like video game characters, but the comments under her posts are read by a real person.
The obsession with her looks is often a thinly veiled mask for other biases. It’s easier for a critic to call someone "ugly" than to admit they are uncomfortable with a Black woman being successful, wealthy, and competitive.
The Takeaway for Fans
If you find yourself seeing those search suggestions, remember that they say more about the person searching than they do about Angel Reese. We are watching a shift in how female athletes are allowed to exist. They no longer have to choose between being a "serious athlete" and being someone who loves fashion and beauty.
Next time you see a "hot take" on Angel’s appearance, look at her double-double stats instead. Or her signature Reebok shoe, the "Diamond Dust" AR1, which sold out almost instantly. The world of sports is changing, and Angel Reese is the one holding the pen.
What you can do next:
If you want to support the growth of the game, focus on the performance. Follow the Chicago Sky’s upcoming schedule and see how Reese's rebounding dominance actually impacts the point spread. You can also check out her podcast, Unapologetically Angel, where she discusses these exact pressures in her own words. Supporting the athletes directly by watching games and buying licensed gear is the best way to drown out the noise of the trolls.