Angel Reese laid the foundation of her glittering career in the WNBA in Louisiana. Following in her footsteps, her younger brother, Julian Reese, is returning to familiar territory as the New Orleans Pelicans sign him to a two-way contract. Angel Reese wasted no time in giving her reaction to this update.
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“Take care of my Boys,” wrote Angel Reese on Instagram.
Her message came after the Pelicans officially listed Julian Reese as a forward on Thursday.
Reese, a 23-year-old forward, played four years of his college career for the Maryland Terrapins between 2021 and 2025. It seems that good rebounding is a family trait, as Julian Reese averaged 11.1 points and 7.6 rebounds across the 134 games he played during college. He managed to etch his name into the Terrapins’ history books, finishing second on the Terrapins’ all-time rebounding list with 1,015 rebounds. Reese also became the second player in Maryland history to record at least 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
After his stint at Maryland, Reese went undrafted in the 2025 NBA draft before he eventually signed a two-way contract with the Washington Wizards in February 2026. During the 13 appearances he made for the Wizards, he averaged 11.8 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, shooting 52.9% from the field.
His double-double average earned him a trade to the Denver Nuggets in August. But Reese was waived by the Nuggets shortly thereafter before the New Orleans deal materialized.
The Pelicans, it seems, have made the smart play here. Not only is Reese a premier talent, but he also brings proven experience at the NBA level to his credentials, even if he only played for limited minutes last season.
While still no elite forward by NBA standards, Reese showed glimpses of his potential in several games last season. In just his third career NBA outing for the Wizards, Reese turned heads by racking up 18 points and 20 rebounds against the Utah Jazz, distributing his dominance evenly on the glass with 10 offensive and 10 defensive boards.
The dominant outing made Reese the first Washington rookie to grab 20 rebounds in a game since Tom Gugliotta in 1993. Reese also joined elite company like Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan as he became the third player in the last four decades to record a 20-rebound performance in his first five career NBA appearances. Safe to say, breaking records is one right thing Reese has picked up from his elder sister.
Julian Reese was not just a game wonder. Three weeks later, Reese powered Washington to end their skid, putting up 26 points and 17 rebounds while shooting an efficient 12-of-16 from the field to halt the franchise’s 16-game losing streak.
Still lacking in some aspects of his game, a two-way contract is a good opportunity for Reese to develop his skills and be ready when the Pelicans need bench depth in the frontcourt later in the season. His contract allows him to divide time between New Orleans and its G League affiliate, the Laketown Squadron, as the team opens its debut season in Kenner this fall at the Pontchartrain Center.
While it’s good to see her younger brother taking the next step in his career, the attention for Angel Reese will now shift to the upcoming playoffs.
However, concerns immediately mounted over Angel Reese on Wednesday night after the Atlanta forward took a hard foul in the regular-season finale against the New York Liberty. With just 5.6 seconds left before halftime, Reese was guarding Sabrina Ionescu when the Liberty guard made contact with her face on a drive. Referees initially whistled Ionescu for a standard offensive foul, but an official video review led to the call being upgraded to a Flagrant 1.
Coach Kar Smesko gave a reassuring update on Reese after the game, in a sigh of relief for the Dream fans. By the looks of it, Atlanta will most likely face the Indiana Fever in the first round of the playoffs as they hope to make a charge for their first-ever WNBA title.
