NBA cousins Angel Reese and Jordan Hawkins, after clinching national championships just 24 hours apart, were drafted by top NBA and WNBA teams in 2023 and 2024.
Angel Resse, born in Maryland, is a forward for the Chicago Sky in the Women’s National Basketball Association.
After leading LSU to its first national championship in 2023, Chicago picked her in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Alongside Resse, her cousin, Jordan Hawkins, is also making waves in the basketball world as a Pelicans’ guard.
After the NCAA championship win, the NBA drafted the young star, citing his immense talent on the court.
The cousin’s close-knit relationship and share a common ground of athletic family and excellent career trajectory.
Basketball Stars Angel Reese And Jordan Hawkins Are First Cousins From Their Fathers’ Side
Angel Reese and Jordan Hawkins are cousins who have both achieved remarkable success in college basketball. They both became national champions in 2023.
Their familial ties share a deeply rooted background from Maryland and have fostered a strong athletic legacy.
Reese was born on May 6, 2002, in Randallstown, Maryland, to Angel Webb Reese and Michael Reese.
Her cousin, Jordan, was born on April 29, 2002, and grew up in Gaithersburg, Maryland, to Craig and Jasmine Hawkins.
His family has been supportive of their son’s athletic pursuits from a young age, which provided him an early success.
Angel and Jordan both attended prestigious high schools. Resse studied at St. Frances Academy, while Hawkins attended DeMatha Catholic High School.
The cousins shared experiences growing up in Maryland and even went on to share the same career trajectory.
According to the sources, their fathers are brothers, which explains their relationship and creates a direct familial link.
Angle’s dad, Michael Reese, and Jordan’s dad, Craig Hawkins, share the same blood, which makes them first cousins.
Though other details about their family remain private until now, they hail from an African-American background.
Still, upon analysis, we discovered that Jordan has three sisters: Alexis, Chynna and Paris Hawkins.
He also has another cousin, Julian Reese, Angle’s brother, who is also a basketball player.
The Hawkins and Reese family basketball bond doesn’t just stop as they share several relationships around the court.
Although we know nothing about his other cousins and siblings, it is evident that they have been supportive of his career.
Angel Reese And Jordan Hawkins Shines On Parallel Paths From Maryland To Basketball Greatness
Angel Reese and Jordan achieved national championship glory in 2023. They secured national titles within 24 years.
She led LSU to victory in the NCAA women’s tournament, while he helped UConn secure the title just a day later.
Following their collegiate successes, both athletes transitioned to professional basketball in the NBA and WNBA.
The New Orleans Pelicans drafted Hawkins as the 14th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft as a shooter.
Meanwhile, Reese declared for the WNBA Draft, and Chicago Sky selected her seventh overall in 2024.
“Me and Angel go way back … I remember we was at the park, she was cooking me.”
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 31, 2023
Angel Reese and Jordan Hawkins go way back. Now they’re both repping the DMV and fighting for a national championship for LSU and UConn 🙏 @highlighther
(via @awebbreese) pic.twitter.com/69tqF9zyOW
On April 7, 2024, during a GMA3 interview, he surprised her cousin, who snuck into the studio to greet her.
Their emotional reunion filled them with joy as they embraced playing and growing up together during childhood.
Jordan said of Chicago Sky’s star:
I’m super proud, just to see your family doing something amazing is crazy. We’re all proud.
Angel stated, “I’m happy for him to see everything he’s done and be so successful.”
As the pair won their collegiate titles just 24 hours apart, when a reporter asked about celebration plants, they stated:
We’re going to have a big cookout for the whole family when I get home, that’s all I know.
This comment emphasizes the close-knit family relationship between the young basketball athletes.
Cookouts are a cultural staple in many African-American communities. Angel Reese and Jordan Hawkins resonate with this tradition.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Reese’s mother, Angel Webb, played college basketball at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
- In addition to basketball, Reese also played volleyball for St. Frances Academy in High School.
- At DeMatha Catholic High School, Jordan Hawkins was titled Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year.
