Angel Reese was spotted hugging Terrence Shannon Jr. at his NBA Draft party after he was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round on Wednesday night.
Reese, a star for the Chicago Sky, attended the celebration for the former Illinois guard, just a couple of weeks after Shannon was acquitted of felony rape and aggravated assault charges by a Kansas jury.
Shannon, who was picked 27th overall, appeared close with the WNBA rookie in a video shared by Chicago’s WCIA News.
The nature of their connection is unclear, but Reese has previously shown support for top NFL prospect Caleb Williams, drafted by the Chicago Bears last month, suggesting she might simply be supporting fellow Chicago athletes.
Around 100 people joined Shannon Jr. at his post-draft party at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Reflecting on his selection, Shannon said,
“It hit me like a bowling ball. I didn’t know if I would cry cause I haven’t cried in a long time but yeah it hit me. Just happy, my dream came true and now it’s time to go to work,” after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced his name.
Shannon’s NBA confirmation came weeks after a jury found him not guilty of raping a woman in Kansas last September.
Following the June 13 verdict, LeBron James expressed support for Shannon, stating online,
“To my Young (crown emoji) Terrance Shannon Jr! Love and Salute you! Proud of you!! God is Good! The apologies should be 30X louder than the hate he got but we know how it goes. Anyways back to the regular scheduled program. Great days ahead!”
Shannon was accused of sexual assault while visiting Kansas for a football game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Kansas Jayhawks.
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He faced charges of rape or an alternative count of sexual battery, leading to his suspension for six games.
A federal judge later reinstated him, ruling that his civil rights had been violated.
In his testimony, Shannon stated he joined two roommates and some Kansas players at a bar on September 8, 2023, had only a few drinks, and remembered everything that happened that night.
He said he was unaware of the rape allegation until several weeks later and had never seen the 18-year-old woman who accused him until the case began.
Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly highlighted the team’s thorough research on Shannon before drafting him, praising his off-court reputation and resilience.
“Talk to the coaches at Texas Tech. Talk to the coaches at Illinois. They don’t say good things. They say amazing things,” Connelly said.
“Obviously he was on the wrong end of a really unfortunate situation, and his ability to play through that and play winning basketball for a great coach in Brad Underwood — we just think he brings toughness.”
