Angel Reese has never fit neatly into a traditional mold, and her latest financial decision reinforces that reality. While the Chicago Sky forward earns a reported $74,909 base salary in the 2025 WNBA season, Reese continues to build a powerful business portfolio far beyond the hardwood. On January 7, 2026, she announced a significant off-court move: an investment in Topicals, a Black-owned skincare brand rapidly gaining traction in the beauty and wellness industry.

The investment was revealed as part of a new funding round co-led by Reese and Nigerian music star Rema, alongside other high-profile figures from sports and entertainment. While the specific terms of the deal were not disclosed, the announcement marked a major milestone for Topicals, which has now raised more than $22.6 million since its founding in 2020. Known for its science-backed approach to treating chronic skin conditions such as eczema and hyperpigmentation, the brand has become a standout in an increasingly competitive beauty market.

For Reese, the move is not a surprise—it is a continuation of a carefully constructed strategy that blends authenticity, cultural relevance, and long-term financial vision. She has been a public supporter of the brand for years, most notably featuring Topicals’ eye patches in a Vogue beauty routine video in January 2025. What began as genuine consumer enthusiasm has now evolved into ownership and influence.

Topicals founder and CEO Olamide Olowe praised the partnership, emphasizing the importance of aligning with cultural leaders who resonate deeply with younger audiences. In an environment where traditional venture funding has become more selective, Olowe has pointed to figures like Reese as catalysts for sustainable growth—individuals who bring not only capital, but credibility, visibility, and community trust.

This investment also shines a light on a striking contrast that continues to define Reese’s professional life: the gap between her on-court earnings and her off-court value.

Despite being one of the most recognizable faces in women’s basketball, Reese remains on a rookie-scale WNBA contract, earning a salary that pales in comparison to her cultural impact and commercial reach. Her endorsement portfolio tells a very different story. Reese has secured major partnerships with Reebok, Hershey’s, and McDonald’s, and she is slated to release a signature Reebok shoe in 2026—a rare achievement that places her in elite company within women’s sports.

These ventures have transformed Reese into more than an athlete. She is a brand, a tastemaker, and increasingly, an investor. The Topicals deal represents a shift from endorsement-based income to equity-based wealth, signaling that Reese is thinking not just about earnings, but about ownership and legacy.

In many ways, her financial path reflects a broader evolution within women’s sports. As leagues like the WNBA continue to negotiate their economic futures—particularly amid ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) discussions—players are increasingly relying on external income streams to supplement modest league salaries. Reese’s situation underscores this reality in stark terms: while her visibility helps elevate the WNBA, her financial security is largely built outside of it.

This dynamic has become especially relevant as CBA negotiations stall. Players are pushing for compensation structures that better reflect the league’s growing popularity, while the league balances ambitions against financial constraints. In the meantime, athletes like Reese are not waiting for systemic change to secure their futures. They are creating leverage through independence.

What sets Reese apart is not just the scale of her earnings, but the intentionality behind her choices. Investing in a Black-owned, science-driven skincare brand aligns with her public identity and values. It also demonstrates a keen understanding of consumer behavior, particularly among young women who view athletes as lifestyle influencers as much as competitors.

The partnership with Topicals also places Reese at the intersection of sports, beauty, and culture—a space where traditional boundaries are increasingly irrelevant. Today’s elite athletes are no longer defined solely by performance statistics. Their influence extends into fashion, wellness, media, and entrepreneurship, and Reese has embraced that reality earlier and more fully than most.

Critics sometimes argue that extensive off-court ventures distract from athletic performance. But Reese’s career trajectory challenges that assumption. Rather than detracting from her basketball identity, her business success has amplified it, making her one of the most marketable figures in the sport. In doing so, she has helped expand the conversation about what professional success looks like for women athletes.

There is also a broader implication for the WNBA itself. Reese’s ability to thrive financially outside the league highlights both an opportunity and a warning. On one hand, her success brings visibility and prestige to women’s basketball. On the other, it raises questions about sustainability if the league cannot adequately compensate its biggest stars. When players can earn exponentially more through endorsements and investments, the traditional incentive structures of professional sports begin to shift.

Yet Reese’s story is not one of disengagement—it is one of empowerment. By investing in companies like Topicals, she is not turning away from basketball, but redefining her relationship to it. She is playing the game on her own terms, with a financial foundation that allows her to advocate, negotiate, and choose freely.

As women’s sports continue to grow, Angel Reese stands as a case study in what the modern athlete can become. Her $74,909 salary may define her position within the WNBA’s payroll system, but it does not define her worth. Through strategic partnerships, smart investments, and cultural influence, Reese is building an empire that transcends any single contract.

In the end, her investment in Topicals is about more than skincare or capital. It is a statement—about ownership, representation, and the power of athletes to shape their futures beyond the confines of the leagues they play in.