Angel Reese cites mother's hardships in raising 2 kids as 'motivation': "Mom wouldn't have been able to pay for college"

Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky is using her mother as her main motivation in life as she starts her journey in the WNBA. Reese and his brother were raised by a single mother in Baltimore, so they wouldn't be where they are without her hardships.

In an interview with Dorothy J. Gentry of NABJ Sports, Reese was asked about her main motivation in life and she gave an emotional answer. It's all about giving the best life for her mother after all the sacrifices she has made to give her and her brother the best life growing up.

"Just being able to be where I'm from. I'm from Baltimore. My mom is a single mom. Being able to raise two kids. I mean, I just graduated. My mom wouldn’t have been able to pay for college for me and my brother without me being on athletic scholarships and academic scholarships."

She added:

"I'm blessed. My mom had no student loans, my brother's graduating in December. So being able to walk away from that, that's all I ever wanted in life. Me and my mom, we have a really close relationship. It's just me, my mom and my brother, it has always been. That's my motivation."

Angel Reese was born on May 6, 2002, in Randallstown, Maryland to Michael and Angel Reese.

Both her parents were basketball players, with her father playing for Boston College and Loyola, while her mother played for UMBC. They were also professional players, with Reese's mom playing overseas, in Luxembourg.

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Angel Reese got her confidence on the court from her mother

Angel Reese got her confidence on the court from her mother

Angel Reese's mother has been very supportive of her career from starting at the University of Maryland to her transfer to LSU. Reese's hard work paid off when she led the Tigers to their first-ever NCAA championship last year. She was even named Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament.

In an interview with ESPN in April 2023, Reese credited her mother for giving her all the confidence she needed to succeed. It was her mom's confidence from raising two kids alone that was enough for the star forward to elevate her game.

"Looking at her and seeing how she never backed down to anything. She always stood her ground for everything, she worked super hard for me and my brother to get in this position.

"Being able to just look at her and say 'Mom, you showed me. You paved the way for me,'" Reese said. [H/T People Magazine]

Angel Reese made her debut for the Chicago Sky on Wednesday night. Reese struggled in the first half before finishing with 12 points and eight rebounds in the loss to the Dallas Wings.