The cover stars for NBA 2K26 have been announced, and Chicago Sky star Angel Reese is one of them. Reese's selection was a bit of a surprise, and NBA 2K general manager Zak Armitage spoke about the decision to have her on the cover to TMZ.

"NBA 2K26 is celebrating the bold, the confident and the visionaries - and WNBA All-Star Angel Reese carries all that on and off the court."

"In her sophomore year in the WNBA, Angel Reese has made waves, created impactful conversations, and inspired the next generation. She’s a storyteller and has helped the WNBA grow its audience."

Caitlin Clark might have seemed like the obvious pick to be on the cover for the WNBA edition, but the belief is that Reese is a better fit with the theme. She has had a relationship with 2K over the years as well, which helped matters. Armitage praised her for making her presence known "on the biggest stages, including in gaming."

The Sky selected Reese with the seventh pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, and she had a strong rookie season that saw her finish runner-up for Rookie of the Year to Clark. The 23-year-old then had a slow start to her sophomore season, but has bounced back in style. 

Reese is now averaging 14.0 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game in this 2025 season for the Sky. She has made the All-Star team for the second year in a row and is silencing her doubters.

Reese now joins Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Sabrina Ionescu, and A’ja Wilson as the stars to have had the honor of being on the cover of the WNBA edition. She also appears on the cover of the Leave No Doubt Edition along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Carmelo Anthony. Gilgeous-Alexander is the cover star for the NBA edition, while Anthony is on the Superstar edition. 

Here is what Reese had to say about appearing on the cover.

“Being on the cover of NBA 2K26 and debuting my first-ever signature shoe with Reebok on that cover, the Angel Reese 1, is more than a milestone—it’s a statement,” Reese said. “It’s about representation and showing young girls they can be confident, bold, and take up space unapologetically.

"To be cemented in NBA 2K history is a special honor that reflects not only my journey, but also all the veteran WNBA players who have paved the way before me and the growing impact of the league as a whole," Reese added. "I’m proud to be part of a game that continues to elevate women’s basketball and can’t wait for fans to see how NBA 2K26 brings our game to life like never before.”

NBA 2K26 will release on September 5, 2025. The WNBA edition will once again be a physical version of the game and will be exclusively available at GameStop in the United States. This year's game promises improvements to its ProPLAY features and will have an overhauled MyCAREER mode as well.