Last week, Angel Reese was revealed as a cover athlete of NBA 2K26 alongside former NBA Superstar Carmelo Anthony, and current NBA League Champion and reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, to a chorus of angry fans. This week, NBA 2K26 revealed some of its athlete ratings, and cover stars were included.
For a bit of background, fans were miffed to learn Angel Reese was put on the cover of NBA 2K26 over another WNBA star, Indianapolis Fever's Caitlin Clark. Fans took to Reddit and every other social platform to discuss why they believe NBA 2K made a mistake. In a thread, user ajulydeath, said, "It's so bizarre considering how trash her game is," and many other comments followed suit.
Other fans simply thought other athletes deserved the honor more, with names like A'ja Wilson thrown into the mix. User SuperDuperSkateCrew believes the honor is a popularity contest, writing, "I mean I think CC deserves it but… Instagram followers: Caitlin Clark - 3.5M Angel Reese - 5M - Regardless of who’s a better player, Angel Reese is simply more popular. More fans = more potential sales. I’d assume Angel has more followers on other platforms as well."
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Other WNBA players have a different opinion. The New York Post reporter, Madeline Kenney posted on X (formerly Twitter) what New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu (the cover athlete for NBA 2K24) thought about the decision.
"Knowing the significance and the importance of how cool it is to be on the cover of 2K, like, video games are played worldwide," she said. "Everyone knows who's on the cover every single year. There's this anticipation, and I'm really happy for [Angel] to be able to see her kind of get her flowers so early in on her career, just knowing that I was able to be on it and how much that meant for my family."
Today, NBA2KRatings released stat totals for a few athletes, and Angel Reese has been put into an elite club of players.
Angel Reese Joins The 90 Overall Club In NBA 2K26
NBA 2K Ratings dropped a few notable player ratings for the upcoming NBA 2K26 release scheduled for September 2025. Of course, Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark were included in these ratings, and it's sure to shake a few hives of the WNBA fandom. Last year, Caitlin Clark carried a 91 overall, and that number improved to a 96 overall for the upcoming 2026 release. Reese, however, had a 90 overall last year, and that number remained the same despite improved play on the court.
Where fans may disagree is when Reese is compared to other athletes on the roster of players, as Reese falls into the top 10 players rated in the WNBA. Although fans may not be happy with the decision, Angel Reese is on the cover, and she's joined the 90 club.
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