Many people watched Angel Reese shine on the Victoria’s Secret runway without realizing the emotional weight she carried behind the scenes. The moment looked glamorous and carefree, but it was happening at a time when she was quietly preparing for a life-changing decision. While her confidence and elegance captured the spotlight, she was already contemplating stepping away from the WNBA entirely.
What makes her situation so heartbreaking is that her doubts weren’t rooted in fame or opportunity—they came from deeper, more personal pain. Beneath the surface, Reese had been dealing with challenges that drained her spirit and made her question whether staying in the league was worth the emotional toll. These struggles were rarely visible to the public, yet they shaped her thinking in ways no one expected.
Her time on the runway became more than a fashion moment; it felt like a temporary escape from the pressure and criticism that had followed her throughout her season. Away from the court, she briefly found a space where she could breathe, reflect, and acknowledge how heavy her journey had become. It was in that quiet space offstage that she began preparing herself for the possibility of walking away.
The three reasons behind her hesitation—reasons she has kept mostly private—stem from a place of exhaustion, hurt, and overwhelming expectation. They reveal the human side of an athlete who has often been treated as a symbol rather than a person with limits and vulnerabilities. For Reese, each of those reasons weighed heavily enough to make her reconsider everything she had worked for.
In the end, the world saw the beauty, the confidence, and the glamour, but not the struggle underneath. Her runway moment, which many thought was simply another milestone, was actually a turning point—a quiet acknowledgment of how close she was to letting go of the game she loves.
