NCAA champion Angel Reese steps off the court and into the spotlight as one of the first college athletes featured in SI’s annual swimsuit issue. Known as the “Bayou Barbie,” Reese continues to make history. Just months after her team’s historic championship win, LSU’s star athlete joins the Sports Illustrated family as the latest model in the annual SI Swimsuit issue.

“This is what our kind of game day looks like! LSU forward and NCAA women’s basketball champion Angel Reese traded in her uniform for a swimsuit and will be featured in this year’s 2023 SI Swimsuit issue,” the publication shared in an Instagram post announcing the news. “Despite her quick rise to fame, Angel has continued to stay unapologetically herself and allowed her confidence to always shine through, which is why we applaud her for the inspiration she has become both on and off the court.”

After transferring to Louisiana State University from Maryland, the Baltimore native quickly made a name for herself in Baton Rouge. Dominating the courts with her long nails and eyelash extensions, Reese gained the nickname “Bayou Barbie” as she moved up the NCAA ranks. By the time the LSU women’s basketball team won their historic championship game, Reese was crowned “Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.”

However, the milestones did not end there. After beating the odds on the court, Reese made history as one of the top-earning college athletes, thanks to NIL (name, image, and likeness) endorsements. Thanks to a 2021 Supreme Court ruling, NIL contracts allow NCAA athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness. Reese, for instance, currently sits in the top ranking of earners with $1.3 million in deals with brands like Coach, Mercedes-Benz Baton Rouge, Amazon, etc.

While Reese’s revenue is particularly impressive, it gives a glimmer of hope to the discussion surrounding the future of equal pay for Black women, specifically athletes. As in many other industries, women athletes face significant pay inequalities. So much so that athletes like Brittney Griner are compelled to play overseas to “supplement their income,” as Nneka Ogwumike, head of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, noted in an interview with ABC.

“It’s hard when you have ‘the best league in the world,’ but we’re not treated like the best athletes in the world,” said Australian player Liz Cambage, who reportedly makes more playing basketball overseas than in the WNBA.

As reported by NPR, NBA players make approximately 44 times more money than WNBA players, with an average annual income of $5.4 million – while WNBA players average $120,600. Not to mention the WNBA season consists of 36 games, compared to the 82 played in the NBA. Despite the possible financial gain of playing abroad, Griner’s recent experience in Russia may deter other female players from utilizing that option.

While there is a long way to go regarding equal pay, seeing young Black female athletes like Reese reach such heights with NIL contracts is a glimmer of hope for the next generation of athletes.

In the meantime, the trailblazer continues to leave her mark in the sports world as one of the first college athletes to be featured in Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit issue. Photographed by Yu Tsai, Reese posed in a series of swimwear looks despite some initial nervousness.

“I had on thong bathing suits, and I didn’t think I was going to be comfortable, but [everyone] made me feel really comfortable,” Reese told SI. “I work out a lot. I embrace my body and who I am, and every mark on my body. I probably feel the sexiest in a bathing suit.”

Like many female athletes, Reese constantly faces public scrutiny. From her appearance to her sportsmanship, the “Bayou Barbie” is “combating the double standard in sports, especially for women,” says Sports Illustrated’s editor in chief MJ Day.

“She is making a name for herself as a fierce competitor and an equally fierce advocate for growing the game of women’s basketball,” said Day of her choice to highlight Reese. “Her intensity, drive, and passion around being unapologetically herself and speaking up for what she believes in is helping move the needle forward for women in sports and is liberating the next generation to feel seen and heard.”

“Women can be who we are,” Reese shared. “Women can be competitive.”