Reebok’s Angel Reese Gamble Turns Into a Marketing Nightmare – Viral Misses, Tanking Stats, and a Signature Shoe No One’s Asking For

Shaq wanted her to be the face of Reebok’s basketball revival. Instead, she’s the face of missed layups and highlight reels you watch for laughs, not inspiration.

What was supposed to be a bold brand resurrection is rapidly becoming a corporate cautionary tale.
Under the guidance of Shaquille O’Neal, Reebok bet its basketball comeback on Angel Reese — the Chicago Sky forward who came into the league riding high off an NCAA title and a national profile.

Instead of buzzer-beaters and sold-out arenas, the brand is getting blooper reels, brick-laden stat lines, and commentators stifling laughter on live TV. With her signature Reebok sneaker still slated for a 2026 launch, industry insiders are already whispering: This might be the biggest sneaker misstep since New Coke.

On-Court Reality: Bricks Over Buckets

Let’s get the ugly number out of the way:
31.5%. That’s Reese’s conversion rate on layups.
Yes, layups — the most basic shot in basketball.

By comparison, most WNBA bigs finish those at 70–80%. Reese is missing them so frequently, it’s less “finishing at the rim” and more “experimental theater.” She’s third in the league in attempts close to the basket — and still manages to turn routine bunnies into internet comedy.

Four missed putbacks in 12 seconds against the Liberty.

Two blocks in the same sequence like she was trying to score on a brick wall.

Clips now living on TikTok, stitched with circus music and meme captions.

When Commentators Can’t Keep a Straight Face

Play-by-play announcers are trained to hype everything — even a routine free throw.
But during a recent Sky game, Reese clanked yet another point-blank attempt… and the broadcast crew couldn’t hold it in. One chuckled audibly before snapping back into professional mode.

When your highlight package is generating more laughs than cheers, your personal brand — and your sponsor’s — is in trouble.

Meanwhile… Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham Are Soaring

While Reese is struggling to finish at the rim, Caitlin Clark is breaking records, moving merch, and selling out arenas. Sophie Cunningham is building a fanbase on pure charisma. Both are elevating the WNBA’s profile without going viral for the wrong reasons.

And that’s the elephant in Reebok’s marketing room:
They could have hitched their revival to proven on-court stars. Instead, they gambled on controversy and “attitude” — without enough actual game to back it up.

Chicago Sky: Bad With Her, Worse Without Her

Chicago’s season hasn’t helped her case:

Record with Reese: ugly.

Record without Reese (back injury): somehow even uglier.

Only one win this season against a team with a winning record.

It’s the basketball equivalent of a leaky lifeboat — you’re still sinking, just not quite as fast.

Reebok’s Bet: All Personality, No Performance

Shaq and Reebok brass envisioned Reese as a cultural crossover — someone who could merge fashion, personality, and basketball swagger. They compared her to Allen Iverson and Shaq himself.

The problem? AI and Shaq dominated their sport. Reese is… dominating the lowlight reels.

Endorsements are aspirational. People buy LeBrons to play like LeBron, not to miss layups like a high school JV center. No slogan can sell a “Guaranteed to Clank Your Layups” sneaker.

Possible Damage Control Moves

With the 2026 shoe launch looming, the options aren’t great:

Pivot to Lifestyle Sneaker

      – quietly shift from performance basketball gear to casual wear, hoping consumers forget this was ever about on-court play.

Delay Release – buy time in the faint hope Reese finds form.

Pull the Plug – cut losses, cancel the shoe, and spin it as “creative differences.”

The riskiest choice? Staying the course and pretending nothing’s wrong. In the internet era, the viral clips aren’t going away.

The Lesson: Attention ≠ Influence

Reebok confused being talked about with being worth investing in. Yes, Reese trends — but so do highway pileups. That doesn’t mean you name a street after them.

Every missed layup, every viral block, every compilation video chips away at the credibility of the shoe. And once consumers start associating your product with failure, it’s almost impossible to walk that back.

Final Take

This isn’t just a slump. It’s a pattern. And unless Reese dramatically changes her game, Reebok is on track to release a signature shoe for a player better known for bloopers than buckets.

The moral is simple: if you’re going to bet big on an athlete, make sure the highlight reels are the kind you actually want your logo on.