Browsing: Angel

Angel Reese and Suni Lee made history on Wednesday.

The WNBA star and United States gymnastics star walked the stage at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in New York, becoming the first athletes to ever participate in the event.

Reese walked down the stage while Madison Beer, the girlfriend of Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, performed. Lee came out a few moments later.

Reese announced last week that she had been selected to participate in the event.

Reese attended the event last year and knew it was something she wanted to do at some point in her career.

“I literally could not stop smiling!” the two-time All-Star told People‘s Catherine Santino and Hedy Phillips. “It’s such a surreal and full-circle moment — just last year I was in the audience manifesting being on that runway, completely inspired and in awe of all the powerful women walking down the runway, and now I get to return as an Angel. This will be an unforgettable night that I’ll forever be grateful for.”

Reese is obviously most known for her WNBA career, but she’s emerged as a fashion icon as well, showing off her outfits in the tunnel before games.

Both Reese and Lee have made history in their respective sports, and now they’ve made history on the runway as well.

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The Brazil side of the early 2000s was arguably the last truly great Selecao team.

The devastating full-back pairing of Cafu and Roberto Carlos was supplemented by an awe-inspiring frontline of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Rivaldo, and it was this side that won Brazil’s last World Cup title in 2002.

Only once since then have Brazil reached the semi-final stage of the World Cup, with the 2014 last-four thrashing on home soil by Germany an occasion that every Brazilian football fan would rather forget.

Former Aston Villa striker Juan Pablo Angel scored nine goals in 33 appearances for Colombia, but his strike in a 2-1 World Cup qualifying defeat in 2003 remains something he will never forget.

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With her feature-film debut in A House of Dynamiteset to be released on Oct. 10, Angel Reese received some advice about acting from some of her co-stars.

Speaking to Desiree Anello and Julia Moore of PEOPLE, Reese explained that Idris Elba, who plays the President of the United States in the film, gave her some words of wisdom to help calm her nerves before they started shooting.

“Stay confident. Be yourself. Have fun,” she said of Elba.

Reese went on to say she spent time “shooting baskets” with the Emmy-nominated actor.

The two-time WNBA All-Star also said rapper/actor Common has pushed her to get an acting coach after she suggested doing more onscreen roles in the future:

“I want to get an acting coach. I was talking to Common—he’s overseas right now shooting season 2 of Silo—and he was telling me, ‘You got to hire an acting coach.’ So I’m going to hire an acting coach. I model already, so it’s like adding to the résumé. I’m young right now, so I’m going to do it while I’m young.”

IMDB lists Reese’s role in A House of Dynamiteas “WNBA star.”

Per Chris Gardner of The Hollywood Reporter, Reese appears in a cameo during the final chapter of the film that is divided into three parts:

“There’s a little bit of a lead-up to her cameo as Elba’s character, the President of the United States, is briefed in the White House that the next item on his agenda is an ‘Angel Reese‘ thing. The action picks up as the president visits Liberty Arena where Reese is waiting on the basketball floor with a group of girls. Elba’s character then shoots some hoops and shares how sports have changed his life. Reese engaged with Elba and the young women until the president was abruptly pulled away to deal with a developing catastrophe.”

The premise of the film involves government officials trying to determine the source of a nuclear missile launch that is targeting the United States. Kathryn Bigelow, who won Oscars for directing and producing The Hurt Locker, directed the film.

A House of Dynamitehad its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. It will be released on Netflix on Oct. 10.

The film marks Reese’s acting debut. She previously appeared on the 2024 Amazon docuseries The Money Game: LSU about the impact of NIL on college athletics.

Reese recently wrapped up her second season in the WNBA. She averaged a career-high 14.7 points per game, along with 12.6 rebounds per contest in 30 starts for the Chicago Sky.

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Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers were among the star players to support Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier’s comments regarding WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

Collier called out Engelbert during her exit interview on Tuesday, telling reporters that the WNBA has the “worst leadership in the world.”

Reese appeared to acknowledge Collier’s statement in a post on X, while Bueckers posted a picture of herself along with the Lynx star on her Instagram story (h/t ESPN’s Alexa Philippou).

As part of Collier’s remarks, she disclosed a conversation that she had with Engelbert regarding the WNBA’s young stars including Bueckers and Reese.

“I also asked how she planned to fix the fact that players like [Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers], who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league and are making so little for their first four years,” Collier said, via ESPN’s Myron Medcalf. “Her response was, ‘[Clark] should be grateful. She makes $16 million off the court because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.'”

“And in that same conversation, she told me, ‘Players should be on their knees, thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them,'” she added.

Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike and Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby also supported Collier in separate posts on X (h/t Philippou).

Meanwhile, Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham wasn’t pleased with Engelbert’s purported comments about Fever teammate Caitlin Clark.

The WNBA and WNBPA are currently in discussions surrounding a new collective bargaining agreement, which will shape the future of the league moving forward.

Bueckers and Reese, two of the WNBA’s rising stars, have now backed Collier.

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  Jeff KassoufSep 30, 2025, 04:39 PM ET

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  Jeff Kassouf covers women’s soccer for ESPN, focusing on the USWNT and NWSL. In 2009, he founded The Equalizer, a women’s soccer news outlet, and he previously won a Sports Emmy at NBC Sports and Olympics.

The Portland Thorns have traded midfielder Hina Sugita to Angel City FC in exchange for defender M.A. Vignola and $600,000 in intra-league transfer funds, the teams confirmed Tuesday.

In cash terms, the deal for Sugita matches the $600,000 that the Kansas City Current paid Utah Royals FC for USWNT forward Ally Sentnor in August but also includes a starting-caliber player. Jaedyn Shaw’s move from the North Carolina Courage to NJ/NY Gotham FC for $1.25 million in September set the intra-league record and ranks among the six biggest global transfers to date.

Although the NWSL’s external transfer deadline has passed, intra-league trades are still permissible through the league’s roster freeze deadline at 3 p.m. ET on Oct. 9.

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Sugita, typically a starting midfielder for the Thorns, has seen her playing time diminish in September. She started only one of Portland’s four games this month. She has three assists this season and has not yet scored.

“I am so grateful to have the opportunity to join Angel City,” said Sugita in Angel City’s statement. “I feel a lot of energy and passion from the club, and I’m happy to be part of this community. I’m very excited to play for this team and look forward to seeing the fans at BMO Stadium.”

Portland has an abundance of midfielders, with U.S. internationals Sam Coffey and Olivia Moultrie, and Canada international Jessie Fleming also in the regular rotation.

The Thorns attempted to keep Sugita by offering an improved, extended contract, but couldn’t match Angel City’s terms, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation who could not discuss the matter publicly.

The 28-year-old Japan international first joined the Thorns in 2022, when the team won its third NWSL Championship. She has represented Japan at the past two World Cups.

Hina Sugita has joined Angel City from the Portland Thorns. Dustin Satloff/NWSL via Getty Images

Vignola is a 27-year-old fullback who grew up playing forward. She was recently thrust back into a wide forward role after franchise player Alyssa Thompson left Angel City in a blockbuster transfer to six-time reigning English champions Chelsea.

Vignola earned her first and, to date, only cap for the USWNT in September 2023. She will provide the Thorns with needed depth at fullback.

“M.A. is exactly the type of player we’ve been looking to add,” said Thorns general manager Jeff Agoos in a statement. “She addresses a critical need in our squad — a physical, no-nonsense defender who isn’t afraid to do the dirty work and sets a standard with her competitiveness

“. She’s the kind of teammate you want in any battle, and her addition positions us for success as we enter into the playoffs and beyond.”

Angel City has invested heavily in fullbacks Gisele Thompson — the 19-year-old sister of Alyssa — and Japan international Miyabi Moriya.

Ali Riley, a fullback who has been Angel City’s captain since the team’s inaugural season in 2022, also announced on Tuesday that she will retire at the end of the year.

Per the NWSL’s transfer rules, Angel City likely has a positive net transfer fund balance from the sale of Alyssa Thompson. Each NWSL team operates under a $550,000 net transfer threshold in 2025, with incoming and outgoing transfers offsetting that number and any surplus partially counting against the salary cap. The transfer fund threshold resets at the end of the year.

Angel City did not disclose how much of the roughly $1.4 million it received up front from Chelsea for the transfer of Thompson, but any incoming fees this year only count toward the 2025 net transfer cap. Any fees received this year would have given Angel City more spending power for other transfers.

Sugita was originally recruited by Portland when Mark Parsons was the Thorns’ coach, but Sugita officially signed after Parsons left the club. Parsons is now the sporting director for Angel City FC.

“Hina is a world class midfielder who has consistently been one the best players in this extremely competitive league,” Parsons said. “She is dynamic with high game intelligence who we believe helps us on the field and brings valuable experience off the field. We are proud to bring a championship-caliber player to Angel City.”

The trade is the second in just over a month between the Thorns and Angel City. Portland previously signed forward Julie Dufour and a 2025 international roster spot from Angel City for $40,000 in intra-league transfer funds. Dufour scored two goals in five games for Portland before tearing her ACL.

Angel City hosts Portland on Oct. 19, the penultimate matchday of the NWSL regular season.

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Stephanie Vaquer

SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

A striking look, in-ring excellence, and star charisma… pick any two.

No one is perfect.

WWE wrestlers are rightly portrayed as larger-than-life, even superhuman, paragons.  The performers who portray them, however, are flawed human beings like the rest of us.

A major task of WWE booking is to hide a wrestlerâ€s weaknesses and highlight their strengths.  Doing so requires a deft sleight of hand, and results vary depending in part on the quality of performance.

Who in WWE is being portrayed in an ideal light, and who is being exposed?  Letâ€s take a look.

Rising Star of the Week: Stephanie Vaquer

WWE creative has gone all-in on La Primera, who has ascended to the top of the Womenâ€s Division faster than any other talent in recent memory.  A clean win over Iyo Sky, the most dominant champion of the past few years, cements the Dark Angelâ€s legitimacy as champion.

Will the gamble on Vaquer pay off?  The last talent to be elevated this quickly was Tiffany Stratton, who has in many ways been a disappointment.  Will Vaquer follow suit?

Vaquerâ€s greatest assets are top-notch ring work, a strikingly unique look, and a strong presence.  She has proven herself able to have excellent matches with a variety of opponents, and her match with the masterful Sky was predictably the best on the Wrestlepalooza card.

Her signature “Devilâ€s Kiss†is perhaps the most over wrestling move of 2025, although its popularity is undermined by commentators†ever-present sexual innuendo surrounding the maneuver – reminiscent of Jerry Lawler at his worst.

Vaquer holds herself like a star, and possesses a rare poise which makes her seem in command of almost any situation.   She also has a “cool” factor that many of her peers, such as Sky, simply lack. Her ring garb is striking, although I canâ€t help but wonder if it would benefit from adding a pair of shorts.

Her chief weakness is undoubtedly her ability to deliver a strong promo, hampered by limited English.  Sky overcame a similar problem to connect solidly with the audience, although it took her several years to do so. If Vaquer can do the same, and is booked well, a successful title reign is all but guaranteed.

After 16 years of perfecting her craft as a professional wrestler, the Dark Angel finally has the spotlight. I, for one, and am excited to see what she is able to make of it.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Podcast weekly Tuesday Flagship episode with guest cohost Jason Powell: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “wade Keller†on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)

First Runner-up: Brock Lesnar

The Beast is back!

Many fans have mixed feelings about Lesnarâ€s return, given his alleged misconduct outside of the ring as a part of the Vince McMahon scandal.  However, his value as a special attraction performer is undeniable.  Having Lesnar return as a vicious heel fans are encouraged to boo seems in line with how fans want to react to him.

The decision to have Lesnar defeat Cena decisively is a welcome one. WWE matches are typically close contests, which makes them more entertaining, taken individually. But over time, too many such bouts condition fans to expect inevitable comebacks.

More one-sided matches feel realistic and make actual comebacks more exciting.

A true superstar with only a handful of WWE appearances left, Cena has little to lose in defeat. Lesnar, on the other hand, still holds value for WWE beyond 2025, and a decisive win over Cena reestablishes him as a dominant force.

Some foresee a rematch in which Cena wins, giving his retirement tour a happy ending. I hope that doesnâ€t happen. If Lesnarâ€s win stands, his prospects going forward — e.g., challenging Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship — become far more exciting.

Second Runner up: Jimmy Uso

Why Jey has found such success as a singles star, while Jimmy has not, is a mystery to me.  The Usos†reunification has made it clear which twin is stronger on the mic.  Jimmy is natural, quick-witted, and believable in promos — all areas where Jey struggles.

Ring skills are more of a toss-up. Jimmy boasts a deeper offensive repertoire and appears slightly more athletically gifted. While he hasnâ€t connected with audiences on the emotional level Jey recently has, heâ€s highly effective in eliciting crowd reactions — as either heel or babyface.

One wonders whether his lesser success compared to Jey is more due to storyline roles than ability.

Jimmy is an unsung hero of the Bloodline saga. Though his role was relatively minor, he played it well and gave teammates and opponents a skilled performer to work off. Heâ€s served a similar role in his return to Raw, elevating L.A. Knight, Jey, and The Vision.

Heâ€s certainly brought out the best in his brother and Knight, helping make their rivalry unexpectedly compelling. Heâ€s more than earned his spot — and greater opportunities moving forward.

…and the award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role goes to… Big Jim!

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

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Fading Star of the Week: Jacy Jayne

Jayne is solidly exceeding expectations as NXT Womenâ€s Champion. Sheâ€s at her best on the mic, hitting promo beats in a believable and dramatic way. Jayne has a distinctive heavy-metal look and is a passable in-ring worker — having proven she can carry her end of a long-form title match with a talented opponent like Jordynne Grace.

She also holds the distinction of being the first to simultaneously hold the NXT Womenâ€s and TNA Knockouts Championships.

Why, then, is she a falling star?

Expectations for Jayneâ€s reign were exceedingly modest, so surpassing them is a low bar. “Better than expected†doesnâ€t mean “good,†and she still falls short of the standard set by past NXT champions.

Her booking hasnâ€t helped. While sheâ€s had some entertaining tag matches with Fatal Influence — most notably a crushing defeat by Rhea Ripley, Lyra Valkyria, and Stephanie Vaquer — her singles competition has been lacking.

Aside from Grace, sheâ€s mostly faced Lainey Reid and TNAâ€s Ash by Elegance — neither particularly over or strong in-ring. Her upcoming opponent at No Mercy, Lola Vice, is only a marginal improvement.

In her five years on NXT TV, Jayne has made notable strides — but are they enough? I donâ€t believe so.

Itâ€s hard to imagine a long-term role for Jayne on the main roster. Sheâ€s not a strong enough promo to anchor a top act, nor good enough in the ring to thrive as an enhancement talent. It will take inspired booking to make this “Rockstar†a success on Raw or SmackDown.

Runner-Up: Nathan Frazer

Frazer is a phenomenal worker.  His incredible speed and high-flying athleticism make him a treat to watch.  However, his booking on Smackdown as one half of a moderately successful tag team with Axiom has slowly but surely defined him down in the eyes of the fans.  Fraxiomâ€s clean loss to the Vision on last weekâ€s Smackdown cements the teamâ€s status as mid-carder gatekeepers.

Frazer has potential as a singles star, or a part of a tag team (perhaps with a more dynamic partner), but WWEâ€s willingness and ability to invest in him wanes with every loss he takes.

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Jeff KassoufCloseJeff KassoufESPNJeff Kassouf covers women’s soccer for ESPN, focusing on the USWNT and NWSL. In 2009, he founded The…

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