Just eight months on from her WNBA debut, Chicago Sky power forward Angel Reese is having an incredible career, breaking the league’s single-season rebounding record in September and gracing the cover of Vogue’s issue this month. But very soon, she’s set to receive perhaps the highest honor of them all: an official McDonald’s meal, available nationwide starting February 10.
The Angel Reese Special will consist of a limited-time-only BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese, medium fries, and a medium drink of choice. The ads display the burger and fries paired with a Hi-C Orange Lavaburst because as Reese tells Food & Wine, that’s her go-to order.
“I remember begging my mom to take me to McDonald’s when I was a kid, and how I would do extra chores to earn my McDonald’s money for the week!” Reese says.
Celebrity meals have become a huge foot traffic and revenue generator for McDonald’s in recent years, starting with the Travis Scott Meal in 2020. These meals rarely, if ever, contain brand-new items — Scott’s innovation was pairing the fries with BBQ sauce for dipping — but they tap into each star’s preexisting fan base and cater to those consumers with custom merch collections.
McDonald’s
In this case, the Angel Reese Special does feature something novel — a new type of BBQ Sauce, one that McDonald’s promises is “as bold as Bayou Barbie herself.” It’s the unifying element of a combo described as “a saucy trifecta that blends sweet, savory, and a touch of spice.” This will be the first McDonald’s meal released in partnership with a female athlete, a fact that fills Reese with pride.
“Seeing those McDonald’s all-American commercials featuring some of the greatest athletes inspired me [as a kid], and now, as an all-American alum myself, it’s wild to think how far I’ve come,” Reese says. “It was such a full-circle moment to now have my own meal.”
In its announcement, McDonald’s emphasizes that the Angel Reese Special is just the beginning, as the year will be full of “programs that inspire fans and build upon our bond with the basketball community.” The campaigns will be dedicated to basketball history, as well as focusing on rising stars in the sport. Maybe those athletes, like Reese, will get to promote the menu items they love most.
“I’ve always been a QPC girlie through and through,” says Reese.
