Due to setback, a key member of LSU women’s basketball want to step down.
April 2, 2019 (UPI) After LSU’s Elite Eight defeat to Iowa, Angel Reese wiped tears from her cheeks at the postgame press conference. The All-American forward went on to detail why she hasn’t been happy since the Tigers’ 2023 title run.
Reese finished with 17 points and 20 rebounds in Monday’s 94-87 loss to the Hawkeyes in Albany, New York. If it was her final collegiate game, the 2023 NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament’s Most Outstanding Player—who may be selected first in the 2024 WNBA Draft—did not say so.
Over the past year, three-time All-American Reese has garnered a lot of attention on social media. Known as the “Bayou Barbie,” the star player for the Tigers was able to profit from name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals, making him one of the highest-paid collegiate athletes.
Reese told reporters, “I try to ignore things, but that doesn’t really get me to speak out on them.” “All I do is attempt to remain firm. I’ve experienced a lot. I’ve witnessed a lot. I’ve received numerous threats of death and other forms of abuse. Someone has sexualized me. Someone has threatened me.
“I’ve been a lot of things, and every time, I’ve persevered. I simply make an effort to support my colleagues without wavering because I don’t want them to think less of me. All I want is for them to always understand that I am still a human.
I won the national title, and that’s when all of this has happened. I mentioned the other day that I haven’t been content since.”
Reese previously stated her mental health as the cause for her four-game absence earlier this season. She revealed she rolled an ankle in the second quarter of Monday’s setback.
She declared that she had no intention of altering who she is.
During the press conference, Flau’Jae Johnson and Hailey Van Lith, two of her colleagues, rushed to her defense.
“Everybody can have their opinion on Angel Reese, but y’all don’t know her,” Johnson stated. You guys are unaware of Angel Reese. Angel Reese is someone I know. I see the real Angel Reese every day, and she is a strong, compassionate, and loving person.
