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Angel Reese's Message After Touching Gesture Was Powerful

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Aug 18, 2025 10:32 AM ET

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese has not played since July 29, missing seven games so far due to a back injury. However, that same issue hasn't stopped her from making moves off the court.

On Saturday, Reese — through her foundation and in collaboration with Reebok — made a public appearance as she hosted an event for students in the Chicago area.

Angel Reese Gives Back to Chicago

Reese held her Back-to-School Bash at Intentional Sports in Chicago, where she gave away 1,000 free backpacks and school supplies. Not only that, but she also held a "special community chat" and a meet-and-greet with her young fans.

On Sunday, the Angel C. Reese Foundation's social media account posted a video to share highlights from the event, including the Sky star's arrival and autograph signing with the attendees. The post also revealed that 2,000 students made it to the event.

The Sky forward also shared the video on her Instagram Stories, along with a powerful message that emphasized her support for the kids.

"Every city I've played in, I've been blessed enough to have a back to school event," Reese wrote. "Thank you everyone who helped put this together. Shoutout to the Westside of Chicago!"

She added, "To my new little brothers & sisters: I hope & pray I was able to help you feel more prepared and confident for this school year. YOU GOT THIS!"

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"To my new little brothers & sisters: I hope & pray I was able to help you feel more prepared and confident for this school year. YOU GOT THIS!"
— Kit Espina (@KeithEspino22) August 18, 2025

Angel Reese Continues to be a Role Model

Reese's latest initiative just further highlights her goal to continue being an inspiration to kids, particularly to young Black girls.

The two-time WNBA All-Star talked about being a role model to her young fans in an exclusive interview with Elle recently while she was promoting her upcoming Reebok shoes. When asked what it means to her, Reese said, "It means everything."

"If you can see it, you can be it," she added. "And being able to be that for the younger generation coming up means everything. I didn’t have a lot of that when I was growing up, so now to be one of the people that they can look to and know that they could do great things, is incredible. Being an inspiration is really important—when you see somebody that looks like you, you believe that you can do the same thing."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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