“I am who I am and I accept who I am. People are going to either love it or hate it,” Reese tells PEOPLE. “I think that separates you from whoever else”

Angel Reese defines girl power.

Ahead of her first community event in her new home city in Illinois, the Chicago Sky rookie spoke with PEOPLE exclusively about her undeniable confidence and inspiring young girls to find empowerment within themselves.

Reese made a surprise appearance at the South Side YMCA in Chicago on June 28 for an educational event focused on basketball and all things self-care. “Hopefully they can look at me as a sister,” Reese told PEOPLE of what she hope the young girls will gain from the interactive day.

“I remember when I was that little girl, wanting to look up to someone and be where I am right now,” the star athlete recalls. “Hopefully I can give them some confidence that you can do whatever you put your mind to,” she says.

Since she was selected by the Chicago Sky at the 2024 WNBA Draft in April, the former LSU star has had a record-breaking season to date. The first-year standout became the first rookie in league history to rack up a triple-douple, plus set a WNBA record for most consecutive double-doubles (a streak that ended at 15 on July 13).

Reese’s athleticism on the court is complimented by the confidence that she exudes, a personality trait the 22-year-old hooper says she’s possessed her whole life. “I think I was always confident,” the former LSU star says.

“I think it started when I was always the tallest in the class. I had to be confident because I was towering over everybody,” she explains. “So it started at a young age.”

Just as Reese strived to boost the young girls’ confidence at the YMCA — in addition to all females who look up to her around the world — she credits her grandmother for being that motivation for her when she was a kid, herself.

Angel Reese and her mom Angel Webb Reese.ANGEL REESE X

“My grandma used to always tell me, ‘You stand out for a reason.’ And now understand why I stand out for a reason,” Reese tells PEOPLE. She also notes that her mom, a former basketball player herself, was also “super confident” and “always told [her] to stand tall.”

Now, Reese demonstrates just that — and does so with fierceness and style. “My nails and hair and stuff are always done,” she says. “I’m being the girly girl on the court but still having that dog mentality and being able to go out there and compete too.”

But still, after all that she’s accomplished in her life and career to date, there are a few things Reese said she’d like to tell her younger self now, like, “Be who you are and not care what anybody else thinks.”

Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky celebrates the win against the Las Vegas Aces in July 2024.DAVID BECKER/NBAE/GETTY

“Everybody’s always going to have an opinion — if you’re the greatest or the worst,” Reese continued. “I am who I am and I accept who I am. People are going to either love it or hate it,” she says. “I think that separates you from whoever else.”

Reese acknowledged the adversity and challenges she’s had to overcome to get to where she is now, and stressed the importance of believing in yourself to achieve your end goal.

“I haven’t had the perfect journey, I haven’t had the perfect life,” admits Reese. “I want them to know that and understand that you can start anywhere and be where you want to be.” She adds, “I think that separates you from whoever else.”

Angel Reese attends the 2024 Met Gala.JOHN SHEARER/WIREIMAGE

Reese demonstrates her confidence — and style — both on and off the court, between her fashion-forward tunnel walks ahead of games and getting glam for red carpet appearances at high-profiled events. This year, the basketball star made her Met Gala debut in May.

“I live, I guess, a double life,” Reese says. “Off the court I model, I take pictures, I like to dress up and have fun — and then on the court, I’m about my business.” She makes known, “I love to work hard, I love to win. I’m a winner, so whatever it takes to win.”

Reese wants young girls to know that “it’s okay to do both,” she says, “and know that women don’t have to be put into a box where they have to do one specific thing.”

She concludes: “You guys can be cute on and off the court. But when you get within the lines, just have that mentality to do your job out there.”