Angel Reese was seen hugging Terrence Shannon Jr. at his NBA Draft party after he was taken by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round Wednesday night.
The Chicago Sky star joined the former Illinois guard at an exclusive bash, a couple of weeks after he was found not guilty of felony rape and aggravated assault by a Kansas jury.
The 23-year-old, who was selected No. 27 overall, looked chummy with the WNBA rookie in a video shared by Chicago’s WCIA News.
However, it’s unclear how the pair became connected.
Reese previously supported top NFL prospect Caleb Williams, who was drafted by the Bears last month, so she may simply be supporting fellow Windy City athletes.
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Angel Reese was spotted at Terrence Shannon Jr’s NBA Draft party this week
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The pair were seen hugging, though it’s not known how the two know each other
About 100 people joined Shannon Jr. at his party following the draft at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
‘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,’ he said after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called his name.
The confirmation that he’s heading to the NBA came weeks after he was found not guilty of raping a woman in Kansas last September.
At the time of the June 13 verdict, LeBron James wrote online that the 23-year-old Illini star deserved an apology.
‘To my Young (crown emoji) Terrance Shannon Jr!’ James wrote on X. ‘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,’ James added. ‘Anyways back to the regular scheduled program. Great days ahead!’
Shannon was drafted 27th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves during Wednesday’s draft
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The 6-foot-6 superstar proved he can play point guard or shooting guard
He was accused of committing sexual assault while visiting Kansas for a football game between the Illini and the Jayhawks.
He was charged with rape or an alternative count of sexual battery, which led to the Illinois star being suspended for six games.
A federal judge later reinstated him, ruling that his civil rights had been violated.
Shannon Jr. testified that he joined two roommates and a few Kansas players at a bar on September 8, 2023, but he only had a few drinks and remembered everything that happened that night.
Shannon said he didn’t learn of the rape allegation until several weeks later, and that he had never seen the 18-year-old woman who had accused him until the case had begun.
Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly previously told reporters that the team ‘did a ton’ research on the prospect before drafting him.
‘The off-court reputation is sterling. 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.’
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Shannon Jr. was found not guilty of raping a woman in Kansas last September
LeBron James previously revealed he thinks some people owe the ex Illinois star an apology
