$1.6 million, NIL valued LSU star Angel Reese prioritizes women's empowerment, forms a new foundation for the initiative

Just days after her inspirational yet controversial acceptance speech at the ESPYs, Angel Reese has launched a foundation. The Angel C. Reese Foundation is centered around female empowerment.

As the beneficiary of several endorsement deals with brands like McDonald's, Raising Canes, Amazon and Coach, Reese has decided to put her profile to good use by starting a community-based foundation.

The foundation issued a press release that contained its vision and mission statement. It plans to:

“Foster equity for girls and underrepresented groups through innovative and impactful initiatives, develop practical solutions to overcome systemic challenges, and provide comprehensive resources that empower a new generation of girls to excel in sports and successfully transition to the real world.”

Reese will be on foundation business with a meet and greet at the Baltimore DTLR store where Bayou Barbie t-shirts will be on sale. The proceeds will go toward supporting female athletes at Reese's old school, St. Frances Academy.

The first order of business for the foundation will be holding a back-to-school block party at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore on August 19. The kids will be provided with clothes, hygiene products, supplies and food.

In the future, the foundation states that it hopes to conduct basketball camps, financial literacy classes and offer scholarships.

Some fans think that the foundation is simply a smart financial play by Reese.

To continue her phenomenal year, Reese was recently crowned Best Breakthrough Athlete at the ESPYs, beating out competition from arch rival, Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Angel Reese has also been honored by being asked to throw the ceremonial first pitch at the Orioles versus Dodgers game.

Angel Reese and Olivia Dunne raising LSU's profile

LSU sports have been on the rise with the women's basketball team led by Angel Reese crowned basketball champions before the baseball team led by Dylan Crews also won the championship.

They have a number of NIL superstars on campus, including gymnast Olivia Dunne, who is the highest-ranked female athlete on On3's valuation list.

Dunne leveraged her extensive experience of converting her fame into endorsement deals into starting the Livvy fund. The fund is supposed to address the difference in endorsement deals availed to men versus those availed to female LSU athletes.

Angel Reese had an On3 NIL valuation of $371,000 before the NCAA tournament but currently has a valuation of $1.6 million. This ranks her fifth on the On3 100 valuation list.

With Angel Reese's foundation and Dunne's fund up and running, it seems that contrary to Senator Paul Rand's assertion, college athletes are doing more than just outfitting themselves with the latest vehicles.