LSU champion Angel Reese becomes brand ambassador for Mielle Organics

The GIST: Angel Reese is giving new meaning to Barbiecore. On Tuesday, the LSU basketball champ became a brand ambassador for Black-founded Mielle Organics, Reese’s first major beauty deal on an ever-growing list of sponsors.

The details: Bayou Barbie will promote the Procter and Gamble subsidiary on social media and at events and will feature in Mielle’s marketing campaigns. This summer, Reese and the brand will also collab on a limited-edition bundle of her favorite products.

• Mielle recently reached out to the hooper, who was actively searching for a beauty partner to align with her glam nickname. She’s in impressive company — rappers Megan Thee Stallion and Saweetie are also Mielle ambassadors.

The context: Reese is still basking in that championship glow. Since April’s big game, her name, image, and likeness (NIL) valuation skyrocketed from $371K to $1.4M as she scored a slew of new sponsors, including Campus Ink and Caktus AI. Reese’s popularity transcends college sports — she was the subject of a Saturday Night Live skit last month. Star power.

Zooming out: Reese’s cultural relevance makes her an ideal ambassador for brands like Mielle that cater to more than just sports fans. Her deal also underlies a larger trend — beauty routines are becoming increasingly important to women’s basketball culture, which may boost the potential for collaboration between brands, the pros, and college hoops.

• Beauty companies are already taking the hint. Glossier partnered with the WNBA in 2021, while hair brand Hally tipped off its NIL program with Baylor’s women’s basketball players. She’s everything.