Angel Reese might not have had the desired ending to her rookie season due to a left wrist injury. However, she’s still up for some offseason fun before making her debut at the 2025 Unrivaled League. Last Sunday, she traveled all the way to Maryland to root for her hometown Baltimore Ravens from the sidelines. Surprisingly, she became an unintentional meme, thanks to Ravens All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who himself got ridiculed in the locker room.

Upon spotting Reese on the sideline, Humphrey immediately approached her to shake her hand. But that wasn’t enough for him—he went on to tell Reese just how important she was to the growth of basketball. “I watch women’s basketball because of you,” he declared. He had remained silent about the encounter ever since, but not anymore. On the latest episode of his podcast, Punchline with Marlon Humphrey, he revisited the moment.

“When I went over there, I was like, ‘Oh, Angel Reese!’ and I just had to let her know… Guys making fun of me. They said I shook her hand looking up.” He addressed how the fan moment took a hilarious turn. And he’s right. Right after this encounter, Reese looked directly into the camera (The Office style), leading fans to perceive it differently.

The internet was then full of memes speculating that Reese’s side-eye right after meeting the cornerback was intentional. “If I send this to you, it means I didn’t believe a word you just said,” penned a spectator on X. So, if Reese was the reason behind Humphrey’s interest in basketball, the clip somewhat contradicts that notion. This led to Reese’s reaction, paired with the video, becoming a new meme. Despite all this, Humphrey still stands by his words.

“I tuned in to that Iowa vs. LSU game because of them, you know,” he added during the podcast. According to Humphrey, it all began during the National Championship Game between LSU and Iowa in 2023, where Reese and Catilin Clark went head-to-head.

Ever since witnessing Reese’s 17-point performance with 20 rebounds in 36 minutes of gameplay, Humphrey has been a huge fan. From that moment on, he started following WNBA games to see the “big effect” Reese had brought to the sport. With the 22-year-old Maryland native attending the Ravens game, how could he resist approaching her?

Angel Reese is embracing the odds

Reese was in attendance with fellow Baltimore legends, including Masai Russell, Carlton “Bub” Carrington of the Washington Wizards, and Quincy Wilson. But nothing stood out to Humphrey as much as Reese, who he made sure to give her the recognition she deserved. And he’s right—after a season full of ups and downs, Reese has earned a respected reputation for herself.

Whether it’s her double-double streak or leading the league in rebounds with an average of 13.1 per game, Reese has done it all. Things were going well until she injured her left wrist, suffering a hairline fracture that required surgery and cost her the final games of the season. Even though her team missed out on a playoff berth this season, Reese, instead of dwelling on the past, moved forward.

For her, moving forward meant enjoying her first WNBA offseason. “Hey guys, I am super excited to be back home in Baltimore, supporting the home team. Go flock!” she said in a statement before heading onto the field. And that’s when she truly realized the impact she had made in her rookie year.