Angel Reese made it clear this week that she once wanted to go to an HBCU, revealing Howard University as her dream school. She most wanted to attend before choosing the Power Five route instead.
The WNBA star shared that sentiment while in Atlanta for HBCU Awarefest. She posted a video on social media wearing a Howard outfit and reflecting on the decision she faced as a high-level basketball recruit. Reese is from Maryland. She said the idea of attending an HBCU stayed with her because of both culture and proximity to home.
“I always wanted to go to Howard because … I always wanted to go to an HBCU,” Angel Reese said in the video. “But I also wanted to play in Power Five. So, tough decisions. But in my second life I would be an HBCU alum and I would be a Howard alum. Because I just know I wanted to go to Howard and it’s close to home. I’m from Maryland so it’s close. So today’s fit of the day — Howard Girl.”
A revealing moment from Angel Reese
Reese has become one of the most recognizable stars in women’s basketball, so her comments quickly caught attention online. For many HBCU supporters, it was another reminder that elite Black athletes often feel a genuine connection to HBCUs, even when recruiting realities pull them elsewhere.
Her words also struck a chord because Howard University has long carried a strong cultural pull for students. Reese’s mention of the school being close to home makes perfect sense given her Maryland roots. but it was the emotional tone of her comments that stood out most.
Howard University remains a “what if”
Of course, Reese ultimately chose the Power Five route, going to Maryland and LSU. She built her brand on one of the sport’s biggest stages. Still, her latest comments show that the HBCU experience remained part of her thinking.
As with anything posted online, especially by a star as big as Reese, there was mixed reaction. Some viewers echoed her sentiments that they would have liked to have gone to an HBCU — Howard or otherwise — as well. Others viewed it a bit more cynically and claimed that she was ‘cos-playing’ as a Howard University/HBCU graduate.
But in the HBCU community, that kind of public love from Angel Reese still matters.