Union business? Angel Reese is in the room.

Sky forward Angel Reese wears many hats: All-Star, entrepreneur, part-owner, podcaster.

And now, she’s beginning to realize another calling: union leader.

“I learned so much this past weekend how important it is to speak up and speak your voice,” -Reese said after the WNBPA’s All-Star weekend CBA meeting. “Coming down, I will be a union leader because I know how important it is.”

At least 40 players attended the meeting, part of ongoing negotiations between the union and the league, with compensation structure at the center.

Reese was one of the youngest in the room. But she made an impression.

“She was really attentive in the meeting and asking me questions,” said Elizabeth Williams, Sky center and secretary of the executive committee. “And she’s asking questions even outside of that.”

Reese’s blend of curiosity, business savvy and vocal leadership makes her a natural fit. She already has stepped into the conversation, speaking out on revenue sharing and calling attention to the growing expectations around women’s sports. She has pointed to Unrivaled — the new offseason league founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier — as an example of what’s possible and a challenge for the WNBA to meet that standard.

“I was so happy to see her in the CBA meeting,” said union president Nneka Ogwumike. “She came to me and was like, ‘We should have more people.’ And I was like, ‘Oh!’ Because I was just happy we had that many players show up. And I thought, you know what? I need to think bigger.”

Thinking big is kind of Reese’s thing, on and off the court.

Earlier this year, she became just the fifth WNBA player to launch a signature shoe. She dropped it the same day she was announced as a 2K26 cover athlete.

And in only her second year in the league, she’s already the most followed WNBA player, with 5 million social media followers — more than her NBA 2K co-cover athlete, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

She has built a personal brand and platform rooted in self-advocacy. So it’s no surprise she’s drawn to a fight where players are pushing for a new compensation structure altogether — one that’s more equity-like, with more say in how things are run.

“She’s business aware,” Ogwumike said. “She’s brand aware. She’s developing as a pro, and she recognizes how to use her voice. It’s the whole package.”

For now, Reese is still learning, leaning on veterans like Ogwumike, who helped shape the 2020 CBA, as well. That deal was groundbreaking at the time, but the league is in a different place now — with a $200 million media-rights deal and more than $1 billion in expansion fees on the horizon. The current union leaders want to ensure the next wave of players shares in that growth.

“They show a lot that they care about our generation, not just theirs,” Reese said. “They don’t know how much longer they’ll be playing. They’re doing it for our younger generation.”

That kind of long-term thinking is part of why Reese already seems like a future union leader.

“She’s already done so much individually for advancing the women’s game and inspiring young girls,” Williams said. “So [it would be great] for her to be in that actual union role and see the intricate details of what it looks like to collectively bargain.”

Her coach, Tyler Marsh, often notes how aware Reese is of her reach — and how she wants to use it for more than just marketing.

“A lot of people do listen to me,” Reese said.

She’s not on the executive committee yet. But it’s clear she’s headed there, sooner rather than later.