LSU's Angel Reese Makes Her 'Sports Illustrated' Swimsuit Issue Debut: 'I Embrace My Body'

The LSU star is having a breakout 2023 after helping the Tigers win the National Championship last month

The "Bayou Barbie" is getting her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue debut!

The magazine announced Monday that Louisiana State University basketball star Angel Reese will be featured as a model in their upcoming SI Swimsuit edition.

The annual swimsuit issue has often included professional athletes in addition to models.

The timing couldn't be better. Reese, 21, is fresh off helping the Louisiana State Tigers win its first NCAA women's basketball championship last month and was named the "Most Outstanding Player" of the Final Four. Off the court, Reese is one of the top-earning college athletes with $1.3 million in endorsement deals for brands like Coach, McDonald's and Amazon.

"Having so many people come back to me and say, 'You guys have changed the game. You guys have been a part of history,' I embraced that," Reese told SI. "Just being able to be a part of this has just been amazing for me this year, and it's been a blessing."

Related:Shaquille O'Neal Calls Angel Reese the 'Greatest Athlete' to Ever Come from LSU: 'Male or Female'

But it's not just Reese's play that's raised her profile recently.

The 6-foot-3 Baltimore native also found herself at the center of controversy during the final week of the tournament, after she and Iowa's star guard Caitlin Clark's taunting towards one another raised a debate among fans about sportsmanship. She also initially declined an invitation from President Joe Biden for a traditional visit to The White House after First Lady Jill Biden floated the idea of inviting Iowa, the losing team, for a visit as well.

During an interview last week on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Reese said the drama surrounding her and Clark was "frustrating," especially given that the two are "cool" with each other.

"Caitlin and I are cool," Reese told SI during an interview surrounding the photoshoot. "It's just being able to force people to accept that women can talk trash. The women's side gets penalized for it or we're considered as not being ladylike and that we're not playing by the rules. We work just as hard as the men. Women can be who we are; women can be competitive."

Related:LSU Star Angel Reese Responds to Critics: 'This Is for The Girls That Look Like Me'

Tha magazine said Reese recently traveled to Los Angeles to pose for a photoshoot with photographer Yu Tsai, who has captured portraits of celebrities like Leonardo Dicaprio, Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie and more.

Reese told SI she was nervous about the photoshoot at first, but soon felt at ease.

"I had on thong bathing suits and I didn't think I was going to be comfortable, but [everyone] made me feel really comfortable," Reese said. "I work out a lot. I embrace my body and who I am and every mark on my body. I probably feel the sexiest in a bathing suit."

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SI Editor-in-Chief MJ Day said the magazine wanted to highlight Reese in this year's issue because she's "combating the double standard in sports, especially for women."

"She is making a name for herself as a fierce competitor and an equally fierce advocate for growing the game of women's basketball," Day said. "Her intensity, drive and passion around being unapologetically herself and speaking up for what she believes in is helping move the needle forward for women in sports and is liberating the next generation to feel seen and heard."

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