Angel Reese becomes first pro athlete to walk in Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Angel Reese took her game from the court to the catwalk and made history along the way.

The Chicago Sky forward became the first professional athlete to walk in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on Wednesday, joining the brand’s high-profile “Wings Reveal” lineup in New York.

“It was destined for me,” Reese said during an interview before the show began. “This is already for me. I'm so happy to be sitting in this room with so many amazing models and women. The team that put this all together has been amazing. I'm so excited.”

Reese said she hired a modeling coach to “perfect my walk.”

“I walk, sleep, hoop,” she said. “And I hoop, sleep, walk.”

Reese, 23, made her debut on the Victoria Secret runway wearing pink floral lingerie set adorned with blossoms and lace detailing, paired with a dramatic feathered stole draped across her arms. The wrap was covered in soft pink and rose-toned textures.

The 6-foot-3 Reese donned the signature angel white wings that have defined the show for decades, a new stage for an athlete known for her confidence, charisma and crossover appeal. She walked to the tune of Lumidee's “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh.)”

Reese is a former Louisiana State University national champion and NCAA tournament most outstanding player in 2023.

“One of her biggest dreams was to walk this show,” said celebrity stylist Law Roach, a co-host on the pink carpet who helped reinvent Zendaya, turned Celine Dion into a fashion icon and is a close friend to Reese.

“We had a conversation. I told her, ‘I don’t think that’s a big dream at all.’” Roach said. "And for that to happen in a year or less, that she’s walking the show and, I mean, she looks stunning, like the hair, the makeup, her presence, she’s ready, she’s excited. That makes me the most proud because she’s the one out of most of the girls I have, you know, the kind of deepest connection with.”

The show was livestreamed on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Prime Video in the U.S. The show is a mix of music and celebrities, with Madison Beer sporting pink wings performing “Make You Mine” with lingerie-clad models strutting on the catwalk.

K-pop group TWICE hit the runway too, performing “This is For” and “Strategy.” Karol G sang “Ivonny Bonita” before she walked solo in red wings and lingerie ensemble.

Reese has become one of the most visible figures in women’s sports. Her style, outspokenness and social media influence have helped bridge the gap between sports, fashion and pop culture.

The lingerie show began in 2001 and took place annually for nearly two decades. Victoria’s Secret canceled the show in 2019, but brought it back last year, with Reese attending.

Associated Press writer John Carucci in New York contributed.

Angel Reese walks the runway during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Angel Reese walks the runway during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Angel Reese walks the runway during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Angel Reese walks the runway during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

FILE - Chicago Sky's Angel Reese, left, shoots against Washington Mystics' Kiki Iriafen during the second half of a WNBA All-Star basketball game, July 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

FILE - People prepare the runway prior to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Oct. 15, 2024, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/File)

SEATTLE (AP) — All Vinnie Pasquantino needed was a few days of rest, a morning walk around Seattle and a warm, sunny day at T-Mobile Park to get back on track for the Kansas City Royals.

Pasquantino had two hits — including a solo homer — two RBIs and two runs in his return to Kansas City’s lineup against the Seattle Mariners after sitting out the previous two games because of lower back tightness. He batted third and played first base in the Royals' 7-6 win.

“I told them yesterday, I want in,” Pasquantino said. “And I’ll let them know if anything changes.”

His single to right field drove in Kansas City’s opening run in the first inning. He then belted his fourth home run of the season in the sixth off Bryan Woo on a 2-0 count, a Statcast-projected 404-foot blast into the second deck in right. It gave the Royals a 5-3 lead before Jac Caglianone followed with a solo home run to right.

Pasquantino said it has been an issue he has dealt with for a while after he was removed in the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game. He also appeared in the ninth inning and hit a game-ending flyout in Thursday’s 6-3 loss to the Athletics.

“We hope that he’s not going to have to deal with it the whole season,” manager Matt Quatraro said before Friday’s game. “But he’ll probably feel it for a handful of days before it resolves.”

But it felt good in Friday’s win.

“We’ll see how it feels in about an hour when all the adrenaline comes down,” Pasquantino said.

Pasquantino, 28, is off to a slow start this season for Kansas City, batting .176 with three doubles, 16 RBIs and 25 strikeouts in 30 games.

Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino hits an RBI single to score Maikel Garcia against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)