In what is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about intersections of sport, culture and fashion in recent memory, Angel Reese took a giant leap from the paint into the spotlight of high-glamour runway. Her appearance at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2025 marked her as the first professional athlete to grace that stage.
Yet for Jason Whitlock, seasoned commentator and provocateur, the moment appears to signal more than just a crossover—it signals a shift in identity. On his “Fearless” podcast, Whitlock didn’t mince words:
“She has found her calling; she is an OnlyFans model,” he declared. “Angel Reese is basketball Barbie, and soon she will be OnlyFans Barbie… she wants to be a sex symbol.”
He doubled down:
“What Angel Reese wants to do is use basketball to promote herself as a sex symbol… You know what? I think it’s going to work. I think this thing with Victoria’s Secret… she will start appearing in movies, and potentially end up in TV shows. But she is never going to be an elite basketball player.”
The remarks have ignited a crossroads debate: Is Reese blazing a trail for athletes in fashion and entertainment—or selling out her sport identity for glamour?
On one side: Reese’s runway moment is groundbreaking. It shatters a long-standing barrier between elite sport and high fashion, creating a new template for female athletes to diversify. Fashion outlets highlight that she is “combining athletic excellence with high fashion” and is “making history.”
On the other side: Whitlock’s critique raises uncomfortable questions about authenticity, motive and legacy. By branding her “OnlyFans Barbie” and tying her future to entertainment rather than sport, he tests the limits of what society expects of a WNBA star. He suggests that Reese’s athletic merit is being overshadowed by glam-pursuits — and that this is a strategic shift, not accidental.
Reese herself has acknowledged the scrutiny. In her podcast “Unapologetically Angel,” she confessed to being:
“terrified of what the media is about to ask… I’d rather take the fine sometimes than talk to the media, because it always gets flipped.”
Her comment underscores the extra lens athletes like her now face: being asked not just about points and rebounds, but about identity, brand, belief and culture.
So what happens next? If Reese intends to straddle sport and spectacle, the reckoning is twofold:
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Sports legitimacy — She will need to prove that her runway wings don’t clip her wingspan on the court. Critics like Whitlock anticipate a decline in basketball performance if the glamour grind takes over.
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Brand trajectory — A Victoria’s Secret appearance is the gateway. Will Reese remain a basketball star who models? Or become a model/celebrity first, athlete second? Whitlock is betting on the latter.
Whatever the outcome, one thing is clear: Angel Reese’s journey is no longer confined to the free-throw line. It’s happening in real time, across television, fashion feeds and sports talk shows. And Jason Whitlock’s blunt monologue has turned her runway debut into a cultural moment—fraught, fascinating and far from settled.
Stay tuned: the next court appearance, fashion shoot or public statement from Reese will inevitably be dissected not just for athleticism—but for identity. And the game has changed.
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