Angel Reese and brother Julian Reese. Photo credits: Imagn and Instagram

'Rockin & Rollin': Angel Reese Sends Birthday Wishes To Brother Julian Reese Day After Getting Lakers Summer League Roster Spot

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Dan Agulto | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 9:34 AM ET

Angel Reese is in her second WNBA season and has continued to impress, both on and off the court. Off it, she celebrated her younger brother Julian, who just turned 22 on Monday, while signing with the Los Angeles Lakers as an undrafted free agent.

On her Instagram story, the Chicago Sky star shared a TikTok of the two dancing and captioned it: “happy birthday to my twinflameeee! rockin & rolling with you no matter what!”

Julian, who played four seasons at Maryland, will join the Lakers for the NBA Summer League starting July 10 as he works toward a potential roster spot. If successful, he could end up sharing the court with stars like LeBron James and Luka Dončić.

Moreover, during the Sky’s victory against the LA Sparks on Sunday, Angel Reese also paid tribute to Julian’s entry to the NBA to their mother, Angel Webb Reese, with both her children now in pro basketball.

“I know my mom is really proud, and I’m really proud of my brother, and I really hope he gets the opportunity to play in the league because I know he deserves it,” Reese said.

Averaging 12.4 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in the season, Angel Reese has been off the troll spotlight for quite some time, particularly due to her flashes of skill in past games. She scored 24 points on 52.6% efficiency, 16 rebounds, and seven assists against the Sparks.

Meanwhile, Reese scored 17 points on 43.8% efficiency and 18 rebounds in Friday’s loss against the Golden State Valkyries. She’s on her fourth consecutive double-double, too, and it’s clear that momentum remains ongoing.

Angel Reese will play as reserve for upcoming All-Star Game

On Monday, the voting results for the WNBA All-Star Game on July 16 are released, with players like Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu hailed as starters. However, one name is particularly missing from the starting lineup, none other than the Chicago Sky star Angel Reese.

Jun 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) and Los Angeles Sparks forward Emma Cannon (32) go for a rebound in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Reese, a frontcourt player, is fifth in fan rank, while she’s twelfth on both the media rank and the player rank. She has a weighted score of 7.75. Meanwhile, Napheesa Collier and A’JA Wilson lead the frontcourt section, while Paige Bueckers and Clark lead the guards section. In other words, the Bayou Barbie will play as a reserve in the upcoming games.

Jun 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby (5) is fouled by Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

It isn’t unknown to most WNBA fans how Angel Reese was welcomed for the season. She was constantly bombarded with criticisms and trolls such as the “mebounds” term. Moreover, the Chicago Sky’s standing, 5-11, just worsens the reception.

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: