Last month, former LSU and current WNBA star forward Angel Reese released a new line of sports apparel. In doing so, the controversial star took inspiration from a term the online sports community had coined to describe her signature move: the mebound.
What is a “Mebound?”
Over the brief course of her fledgling WNBA career, particularly the social media and sports commentors’ community has noted that Reese often grabs rebounds from shots that she herself has taken and missed. This signature move became known within that community as “the mebound.” The derogatory undertones imply the view that the commenters think that Reese is a selfish player.
Turning Lemons into Lemonade
While Reese has often been mocked for her aggressive rebounding style, particularly in light of her own missed shots, the star has taken the critical term “Mebounds” and made it into her own clothing brand.
The Chicago Sky star recently launched an independent brand via her own website. One item currently being sold on the website says “MEBOUNDS™ ANGEL REESE. ANYTHING THAT COMES OFF THAT BOARD, IT’S MINE.” This attitude indicates that Reese is using the “Mebounds” term not as the insult, which was intended by the online commentators, but as a positive motivator and description of her fierce efforts to get every offensive and defensive rebound herself.
Reese also announced via social media that a portion of the proceeds from the MEBOUNDS brand sales will go to her Angel C. Reese Foundation to help combat cyberbullying.
Trademark Application Filing & Timeline: An Example in Action
Attorney Darren Heitner filed Trademark Application Serial No. 99/234,613 on behalf of Angel Reese, LLC, on June 14, 2025, for the mark of MEBOUNDS. The application is still filed as a 1B/Intent-To-Use application, but as we have learned from other posts, the brand is already up and running, and therefore, the mark meets all of the criteria for a 1A/In Use application and can be converted to such at any time.
The only hurdle left is for formal, substantive examination of the application to commence once it is assigned to a Trademark Examiner.
The current wait times for commencement of the substantive examination of a trademark application is currently stated by the USPTO to be 6 months from the filing date of the application. This does not include additional time needed for issues like Office Actions, Examiners Amendments and Notices of Allowance and the filing of Statements of Use that may arise during the course of the examination process.
Once all these additional items are taken into consideration, the average wait time from application filing date to mark registration (if granted by the USPTO) is presently a little over one year.
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