The Bayou Barbie won’t be trademarked.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied Angel Reese’s application for her moniker, according to On3.
The LSU star’s request was initially denied in November with the 90-day appeal window to submit arguments to her case now having passed.
Toy company Mattel owns the trademark to Barbie and it was a fight Reese nor her representatives wanted to start.
“We discussed internally and determined that it was in Angel’s best interest to not unnecessarily instigate Mattel,” IP and NIL attorney Darren Heitner, who filed the trademark paperwork on Reese’s behalf, told On3. “While initially it seemed worthy to obtain the registration, Angel has pivoted away from selling Bayou Barbie merchandise. As such, the appropriate business decision was made to simply let the application abandon.”
Reese, who came by the “Bayou Barbie” nickname due to her fashion, affinity for long pink nails and eyelash extension, as well as playing in Baton Rouge, still has a bevy of Name, Image and Likeness marketing opportunities despite missing out on the trademark.
On3 pegs her NIL value at $1.7 million, seventh best among collegiate athletes and the second-highest female, trailing only Livvy Dunne, LSU’s gymnastics star.
Her lengthy list of deals includes Coach, Bose, Raising Cane’s, Amazon, AirBNB, Reebok and Beats by Dre.
Reese also locked down a spot in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition last year.
The Baltimore native rose to prominence during LSU’s run to the national title last season, averaging 23 points and 15.4 rebounds per game as a junior.
Her senior season, however, hasn’t been nearly as smooth, with her number dipping to 19.2 points and 12.5 rebounds per game and a high-profile multi-game absence early in the year with only vague responses offered on social media and by coach Kim Mulkey.
Still, the top-earning women’s college basketball player could be incentivized to hang around for another season rather than turn pro, as her income is significantly higher than the WNBA average salary of just under $103,000.