College athletes who have featured on SI Swimsuit ft. Olivia Dunne and Angel Reese
The SI Swimsuit Issue is a highly anticipated publication among fashion and sports enthusiasts in the United States. The issue has featured fashion models and sports athletes taking snapshots in bikinis. It is recognized as an annual celebration of female beauty.
First published in 1964, the annual issue is credited with legitimizing the 1946-invented bikini as a mainstream piece of apparel.
Here's a look at the two college athletes who have featured in the coveted publication:
#1 Angel Reese, 2023
Following her exploits in leading LSU to its first national title in women’s college basketball, Angel Reese has become a household name in the world of college sports.
There’s little surprise the forward got the honor of becoming one of the first college athletes to be featured in the SI Swimsuit in a year she has pushed beyond the limits. "Bayou Barbie" perfectly combines natural elegance and athletic strength in her swimsuit snaps which were taken by Yu Tsai in Los Angeles.
“I had on thong bathing suits, and I didn’t think I was going to be comfortable, but [everyone] made me feel really comfortable,” Reese said. “I work out a lot. I embrace my body and who I am and every mark on my body. I probably feel the sexiest in a bathing suit.”
#2 Olivia Dunne, 2023
Not many names are well known in the realm of college athletics like that of Olivia Dunne. The LSU sensation has become an influential figure in the landscape in the past years.
In the NIL era, Dunne has become one of the most marketable student-athletes in the realm, boasting loads of endorsement deals. Becoming one of the first college athletes to feature in SI Swimsuit further showcased the prowess of her personal brand and she exhibited with a brilliant and composed snapshot.
Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico earlier this year.
“When people look at my Sports Illustrated photos, I want them to take away that you can have the best of both worlds—and you can be a strong independent woman while doing it all,” she told Sports Illustrated. “You can be an athlete, you can be in school and you can do modeling.”