Why Did Angel Reese Announce Her WNBA Draft Eligibility in Vogue?

L.S.U. might have misplaced to Iowa within the Elite Eight spherical of the N.C.A.A. girls’s basketball match, however even two days afterward their star ahead Angel Reese was nonetheless making headlines — this time in Vogue.

On Wednesday, Ms. Reese, 21, determined to make use of the shiny to announce she was forgoing her final yr of faculty to enter the W.N.B.A. draft, going down later this month. That selection, full with Ms. Reese posing glamorously for a shoot involving garments from Valentino, Diesel, Wales Bonner and Christian Louboutin, is solely the newest expression of the blossoming love affair between fashion and sports, an intermingling of industries that can attain new heights this summer season with the Paris Olympics.

The basketball participant mentioned she had been impressed by Serena Williams, who selected to make use of Vogue to announce her retirement from tennis. (Ms. Williams acquired a canopy shoot, befitting her standing.) Most probably, nevertheless, Ms. Reese is modeling — no pun supposed — her profession on Ms. Williams’s in additional methods than only one.

In spite of everything, as a school athlete, Ms. Reese — who was referred to as the “Bayou Barbie” after she moved to Baton Rouge due to her penchant for eyelash extensions, lengthy pink nails and dressing up — has been one of many highest paid N.I.L. stars, with offers valued at $1.8 million. She has 2.7 million followers on Instagram, the place pictures of herself in uniform alternate with pictures of herself in outfits from Vogue Nova and with Louis Vuitton purses. Each information factors matter in the identical manner that the record-breaking 12.3 million people that watched the L.S.U.-Iowa recreation matter. Ms. Reese clearly understands the facility of picture to rework a proficient athlete right into a model that may then be parlayed into all types of offers, not solely throughout her taking part in profession, however far past.

It isn’t an accident, for instance, that Tom Brady, in his post-football life, began the “Brady” line of athleisure, or that a big chunk of Michael Jordan’s wealth comes from his Air Jordan sneaker line. Nor that Ms. Williams herself has a vogue line, S by Serena. Nor that seemingly each week brings a brand new announcement from LVMH, one of many Olympic sponsors, a couple of totally different athlete who has develop into an envoy for one among its manufacturers, together with Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton.

On the identical time, an athlete who can also be a celeb can add worth to a crew by attracting consideration from an viewers not excited about sports activities. For Ms. Reese, who’s trying to be an early draft choose, underscoring her potential in that enviornment isn’t just about emulating an idol, but in addition making a strategic transfer. It’s a slam dunk.

To that finish, an alignment with Vogue — much more than Sports activities Illustrated, which featured Ms. Reese in its swimsuit issue, or Girls’s Well being, which put her on its March/April cover — is solely a primary résumé builder. Simply as no matter designer Ms. Reese decides to put on on the purple carpet for draft day shall be a part of the sport.

Solely on this one, all people wins.