LSU W Basketball

LSU star Angel Reese removed any doubt regarding her status for next season and announced in an interview with Vogue that she's entering the 2024 WNBA draft.

Exclusive: Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) is taking her talents to the WNBA! "I've done everything I wanted to in college," Reese said when sharing her plans to enter the WNBA draft with Vogue. See all of the details on the basketball star's next move here: https://t.co/oZWqwNsdeS pic.twitter.com/tEqyj77z8j

— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) April 3, 2024

The 6'3" forward made a major breakthrough after transferring to the Tigers ahead of the 2022-23 season. She averaged 23.0 points and 15.4 rebounds and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament as the program won its first national title.

Grateful for these last four years and excited for this next chapter. #BAYOUBARBIEOUT pic.twitter.com/EvkzUW08JV

— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) April 3, 2024

In the immediate aftermath of that triumph, Reese looked like a surefire lottery selection for 2024. As this year unfolded, however, her stock began to dip a bit compared to its apex last spring.

Reese's production didn't match that of her junior campaign. She averaged 18.6 points on 47.1 percent shooting along with 13.4 boards and 1.0 block.

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey strengthening her roster with Aneesah Morrow and Hailey Van Lith out of portal and getting one of the best players in the 2023 recruiting class (Mikaylah Williams) had something to do with that. Reese's 26.9 percent usage rate was a personal low, per Her Hoop Stats.

More importantly, there continued to be some noticeable flaws in Reese's game. She offers limiting scoring range, shooting 5-of-32 on threes for her career, at a time when WNBA teams are prizing floor-spacing more than ever. On defense, FanSided's Ian Levy wrote how she's "a strong defender" but "more of a disruptor than a pure rim-protecting anchor."

Reese should have a high floor in the WNBA thanks to her elite rebounding and ability to score inside. The lack of evolution to her game made it tougher to argue she's a foundational cornerstone, one warranting a top-four pick.

That raised the question of whether the Maryland native would return to college for one more year. She's part of the last graduating class that received an additional year of eligibility amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reese leaned into the speculation in February on X:

“Should I stay, should I go? I don’t know” 🥺💜💛 https://t.co/1zSvq9yr4V

— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) February 24, 2024

Staying in Baton Rouge would've allowed her to continue refining her game, and her sizable off-court profile meant she wasn't sacrificing much financially. On3 projects her to have the eighth-highest NIL valuation ($1.8 million) in all of college sports.

But Reese ultimately had little else to achieve at the team and individual level in college. Her status as a first-round draft pick is all but assured as well, and slipping out of the lottery could be a blessing in disguise because of the less pressure to perform that would come with it.

When it comes to draft night, Reese might be the biggest wild card on the board thanks to the wide variance with where she could realistically land.

Angel Reese is already a national champion, three-time All-American and SEC Player of the Year, and her career with LSU may not even be over despite Monday's 94-87 loss to Iowa in the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA women's tournament.

"I'll make a decision when I'm ready," the junior told reporters after the loss when discussing potentially entering the 2024 WNBA draft.

If Reese does go pro, she will likely be an early pick.

Michael Voepel of ESPN projected the Tigers forward as the No. 7 overall selection in a mock draft last month and highlighted her rebounding and defensive ability in the frontcourt.

That was on full display during Monday's loss even after Reese suffered an apparent ankle injury and limped to the bench before returning. She finished with 20 rebounds, three blocks and two steals, which helped her make an impact even as she struggled with her shot at 7-of-21 from the field.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YjfErppU5Y

It was yet another double-double for someone who hasn't finished a game without one since January.

Ultimately, LSU couldn't contain Caitlin Clark.

The Iowa star finished with 41 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds, two steals and one block while connecting on nine three-pointers in yet another incredible performance in a season filled with them.

Clark prevented the Tigers from winning a second straight title, but the SEC team will still be poised to make another deep run in 2024-25 even if Reese heads to the WNBA. Hailey Van Lith, Flau'jae Johnson, Aneesah Morrow and Mikaylah Williams could all return, which would be quite the boost for one of the sport's best programs.

Basketball was far from the only thing on LSU star Angel Reese's mind after her team's 94-87 loss to Iowa in Monday's Elite Eight game of the 2024 NCAA women's tournament.

"I just try to stay strong," she told reporters. "I've been through so much. I've seen so much. I've been attacked so many times. Death threats, I've been sexualized, I've been threatened. I've been so many things, and I've stood strong every single time.

"... I'm still human. All this has happened since I won the national championship, and I said the other day, I haven't been happy since then."

Reese's teammates had her back.

"Everybody can have their opinion on Angel Reese," Flau'jae Johnson told reporters. "But, y'all don't know her. Y'all don't know Angel Reese. I know Angel Reese. I know the real Angel Reese. And the person I see every day is a strong person. She's a caring and loving person."

Hailey Van Lith also offered her support for her teammate:

HVL on Angel Reese: pic.twitter.com/2MmqREL8af

— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) April 2, 2024

Reese started her college basketball career at Maryland, but she became a household name after she transferred to LSU ahead of the 2022-23 season. All she did that campaign was lead the Tigers to the national championship as a First-Team All-American who averaged 23.0 points and 15.4 rebounds per game.

That season ended with a national championship victory over Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes in a game that generated plenty of discourse, especially when the LSU star pointed at her ring finger and did the "you can't see me" gesture toward the Iowa guard.

For her part, Clark said Reese should not be criticized in the aftermath of that game:

"I don't think Angel should be criticized at all."

Caitlin Clark said she thought Angel Reese received too much backlash for her celebrations during the championship game. (via @OTLonESPN) pic.twitter.com/i8tZyO8bai

— ESPN (@espn) April 4, 2023

It's clear after Reese's comments that many did not take those words to heart, which has led to threats and other regrettable actions that she said have impacted her well-being.

Even under that type of spotlight, she helped lead the Tigers to another excellent season in 2023-24 as a Second-Team All-American. LSU fell short of another national title because of a loss to Iowa in the rematch, but Reese received nothing but support from her teammates in a moment that resonated beyond basketball.

Trae Young had some jokes after a pair of photos from Monday's Elite Eight matchup between Iowa and LSU detailed the Tigers' struggles to contain Caitlin Clark.

Young called LSU guard Hailey Van Lith and Angel Reese's reactions to Clark "the reverse MJ meme," alluding to NBA legend Michael Jordan's iconic shrug.

The reverse MJ meme😂 https://t.co/1BPn4p6ZCI

— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) April 2, 2024

Both reactions were captured after Clark drilled threes in No. 1 Iowa's 94-87 win over No. 3 LSU Monday night. The shrugs were fitting reactions to how a player might feel when trying to contain Clark, who seemingly hits whatever shot she takes.

On Monday, she finished the night with 41 points and 12 assists, hitting nine threes in the game. She is averaging 32.3 points and 10 assists in the NCAA tournament, propelling the Hawkeyes to a second-straight Final Four.

Clark has had an iconic career, setting countless records and becoming the all-time leading scorer in women's college basketball history, but she still has one accomplishment to check off: Winning a national championship.

The Hawkeyes took care of LSU, which beat it in last year's national championship, and now they'll look to advance through the Final Four next week. Iowa will face the winner of No. 1 USC and No. 3 UConn, which matchup on Monday night.

If Clark can continue frustrating defenses as she did on Monday, Iowa could be on its way to its first championship in program history.

Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times apologized Monday for writing an article previewing the NCAA women's basketball tournament matchup between UCLA and LSU that was described as racist and sexist by others.

A LONG OVERDUE APOLOGY: pic.twitter.com/lgZkCt21Ft

— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) April 1, 2024

"Words matter," he wrote, in part. "As a journalist, no one should know this more than me. Yet I have failed miserably in my choice of words. In my column previewing the LSU-UCLA women's basketball game, I tried to be clever in my phrasing about one team's attitude, using alliteration while not understanding the deeply offensive connotation or associations.

"I also used metaphors that were not appropriate. Our society has had to deal with so many layers of misogyny, racism and negativity that I can now see why the words I used were wrong. It was not my intent to be hurtful, but I now understand that I terribly missed the mark."

Pat Eaton-Robb of the Associated Press noted the article referred to LSU players as "villains" and "dirty debutantes" and described the Sweet 16 battle between the Bruins and Tigers as one between good and evil.

The Los Angeles Times ended up editing the column, and LSU head coach Kim Mulkey did not hold back when discussing it.

"How dare people attack kids like that?" she said Saturday, per Eaton-Robb. "You don't have to like the way we play. You don't have to like the way we trash talk. You don't have to like any of that. We're good with that. But I can't sit up here as a mother and a grandmother and a leader of young people and allow somebody to say that."

She wasn't the only one to comment.

"We do have a lot of Black women on this team, and unfortunately, that bias does exist still today, and a lot of the people that are making those comments are being racist towards my teammates," LSU guard Hailey Van Lith, who is white, said, per Eaton-Robb.

"I'm in a unique situation where I see with myself, I'll talk trash and I'll get a different reaction than if Angel talks trash. I have a duty to my teammates to have their back. Some of the words that were used in that article were very sad and upsetting."

Angel Reese told reporters, "We're the good villains. Everybody wants to beat LSU. Everybody wants to be LSU. You've got to realize like we're not any regular basketball team. We're just changing the game."

UCLA coach Cori Close ended up apologizing after she initially retweeted the column and said, in part, "I would never want to promote anything that tears down a group of people in our great game."

Regarding the Los Angeles Times column. pic.twitter.com/kzZThRTigt

— Cori Close (@CoachCoriClose) March 30, 2024

The article previewed the Sweet 16 game, which LSU won 78-69.

Flau'jae Johnson led the way for the Tigers with a double-double of 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Reese (16 points and 11 rebounds) and Aneesah Morrow (17 points and four rebounds) also impressed.

The win helped set up a rematch of last year's national championship game against Iowa in the Elite Eight.

LSU star Angel Reese dismissed the notion there's any animosity between her and Iowa's Caitlin Clark as the pair prepare for a rematch in the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA women's basketball tournament.

"I don't think people realize it's not personal," Reese told reporters. "Once we get out between those lines, if I see you walking down the street, it's like, 'Hey, girl, what's up? Let's hang out.' I think people just take it like we hate each other. Me and Caitlin Clark don't hate each other. I want everybody to understand that. It's just a super-competitive game."

"Once I get between those lines, there's no friends," the SEC Player of the Year added. "I'm going to talk trash to you. I'm going to do whatever it takes to get in your head the whole entire game, but after the game, we can kick it. I don't think people really realize that."

Reese created the defining image of the 2023 tournament when she started celebrating the Tigers' impending national championship victory. She directed the "you can't see me" hand gesture at Clark and pointed to her ring finger in the waning seconds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-rtcmttGqQ

Unlike Clark, who received plenty of positive attention after taunting then-Louisville star Hailey Van Lith in an earlier round, Reese was accused by some of lacking class or showing little sportsmanship.

There was also a manufactured rivalry between Reese and Clark despite the latter publicly making it clear she thought it was much ado about nothing.

"I don't think Angel should be criticized at all."

Caitlin Clark said she thought Angel Reese received too much backlash for her celebrations during the championship game. (via @OTLonESPN) pic.twitter.com/i8tZyO8bai

— ESPN (@espn) April 4, 2023

Once Clark and Iowa secured a return bout with the reigning national champions Saturday, she lauded the LSU squad and the broad impact the Tigers players have had.

Monday's battle between the Hawkeyes and Tigers will be rich with narratives, but Reese and Clark have made it clear there's no sort of individual grudge they share.

LSU star Hailey Van Lith spoke out against a column by the Los Angeles Times' Ben Bolch that framed the Tigers as "basketball villains."

The piece has since been updated, with the paper saying "a previous version of this commentary did not meet Times editorial standards." Among the portions removed was a paragraph in which Bolch said UCLA's Sweet 16 game against LSU was a wider struggle between "America's sweethearts" and "its dirty debutantes," the latter a reference to the Tigers.

Following LSU's 78-69 win, Van Lith said she has witnessed firsthand the double standard applied to the team and believes racism fuels some of the criticism the Tigers receive.

Hailey van Lith talks about the 'racist' remarks originally written in the LA Times preview of the UCLA v. LSU matchup

"Some of the words in that article were very sad and upsetting... calling us basically the 'dirty debutantes' that has nothing to do with sports" pic.twitter.com/SxDgHbrspC

— Michael Merrick (@MichaelMerrick_) March 31, 2024

"We do have a lot of Black women on this team, and unfortunately, that bias does exist still today, and a lot of the people that are making those comments are being racist towards my teammates," the senior guard told reporters.

While some of the language from Bolch's column has been toned down, it still offers a stark contrast between UCLA and LSU.

"Do you prefer the team that wants to grow women's basketball or the one seemingly hellbent on dividing it?" he asked of his readers.

Bolch also said UCLA "operates in the saintly shadows while being as wholesome as a miniature stuffed Bruin mascot."

Taken in isolation, the description is a bit reductive but might otherwise have been passed over. When Bolch's column is intended to create distinct battle lines, however, painting such a righteous image around the Bruins leads to obvious implications about LSU.

The thrust of the article echoed some of the discourse surrounding the Tigers' national championship win, a run during which Angel Reese was their defining player.

Whereas the trash talk by Iowa star Caitlin Clark was celebrated by those inside and outside of the women's basketball ecosystem, Andscape's William C. Rhoden wrote how fans "played the sportsmanship and class card" when Reese mimicked Clark's taunting on the court.

"We're talking about double standards: Black players are vilified for doing the same things white players are praised for doing," Rhoden wrote.

Bolch's column seemingly points to how little has changed in the intervening year regarding how LSU and its best players are presented and discussed.

UCLA women's basketball coach Cori Close apologized to the LSU women's team and head coach Kim Mulkey for sharing a column from the Los Angeles Times that framed the Tigers as "basketball's villains."

"I made a mistake," Close said in a statement posted to X. "I reposted that article after reading the headline, not the contents of the column. In an effort to increase coverage for our game, I shared it and went back to try to stay focused on my task at hand. ... I made a huge mistake in reposting without reading it first, and I am very sorry for that."

Regarding the Los Angeles Times column. pic.twitter.com/kzZThRTigt

— Cori Close (@CoachCoriClose) March 30, 2024

Prior to UCLA's matchup with LSU in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA women's basketball tournament, the L.A. Times' Ben Bolch attempted to contrast the two programs.

"Do you prefer the team that wants to grow women's basketball or the one seemingly hellbent on dividing it?" he wrote early into the column.

While much of his criticism toward the Tigers was directed at Mulkey, Bolch said star forward Angel Reese "can't get out of her own way" and pointed to her trash-talking on the court.

His praise of UCLA also went over the top. He said the team "operates in the saintly shadows while being as wholesome as a miniature stuffed Bruin mascot."

There's no question Mulkey is a divisive figure who has warranted scrutiny. The Washington Post's Kent Babb—in a profile Mulkey preemptively described as a "hit piece"—pointed to what has made the legendary coach such a lightning rod.

But Mulkey wasn't alone calling out Bolch's column, which echoed the double standards and racial overtones that surrounded Reese and LSU following last season's national championship triumph.

The column includes a note that "a previous version of this commentary did not meet Times editorial standards," with the piece getting updated. Among the changes was removing a line calling LSU "dirty debutantes."

https://twitter.com/JimTrotter_NFL/status/1774183215424844286

Tigers star Hailey Van Lith told reporters she thought some of the wording used by Bolch crossed a clear line. She added more broadly her teammates receive a disproportionate share of negative remarks that she believes is fueled by a level of racism.

Hailey van Lith talks about the 'racist' remarks originally written in the LA Times preview of the UCLA v. LSU matchup

"Some of the words in that article were very sad and upsetting... calling us basically the 'dirty debutantes' that has nothing to do with sports" pic.twitter.com/SxDgHbrspC

— Michael Merrick (@MichaelMerrick_) March 31, 2024

Mulkey was equally disparaging toward Bolch's column.

"You can criticize coaches all you want," she told reporters. "That's our business. You can come at us and say you're the worst coach in America. I hate you, I hate everything about you. We expect that. It comes with the territory.

"But the one thing I'm not going to let you do, I'm not going to let you attack young people, and there were some things in this commentary that you should be offended by as women. It was so sexist. It was good versus evil in that game today. Evil? Called us dirty debutantes? Are you kidding me?"

The Tigers pulled away late against the Bruins and earned a 78-69 victory to set up a rematch with Iowa in the Elite Eight on Monday night.

LSU forward Angel Reese wants everyone to know that the Tigers aren't the villains they have been made out to be during the 2024 NCAA tournament.

"We're the good villains," Reese told reporters after LSU's 78-69 win over UCLA on Saturday. "Everybody wants to beat LSU. Everybody wants to be LSU. You've got to realize like we're not any regular basketball team. We're just changing the game.

"We're doing the unknown. Me being able to be on the court but also off the court, I like to model and do other things. I can do both. Flau'jae [Johnson] can do both. Aneesah [Morrow] can do both. We can all do both. That's what people don't believe in. They don't think that we're focused, and we prove every single night when we get between those lines, we're focused."

Reese was responding to an article in the Los Angeles Times that dubbed LSU "basketball villains" and UCLA "America's sweethearts." The article also portrayed Saturday's matchup as "good versus evil. Right versus wrong. Inclusive versus divisive."

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey, who was the subject of a Washington Post profile on Saturday that she described earlier in the week as a "hit piece," also addressed the L.A. Times article while speaking to reporters after the game, saying it crossed the line.

"The one thing I'm not going to let you do, I'm not going to let you attack young people, and there were some things in this commentary that you should be offended by as women," Mulkey said. "It was so sexist. It was good versus evil in that game today. Evil? Called us dirty debutantes? Are you kidding me?"

LSU, the reigning national champion, is now headed to the Elite Eight to face Caitlin Clark and Iowa in a rematch of last year's title game.

Reese, Johnson, Morrow, Mikaylah Williams and Hailey Van Lith will have to put everything on the line if they hope to stymie Clark and keep LSU's repeat hopes alive.

Johnson was the best player on the court on Saturday, notching 24 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in the win. Reese finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds, four steals and two blocks.

Behind stellar efforts from forward Angel Reese and guard Flau'jae Johnson, the third-seeded LSU Tigers beat the No. 2 UCLA Bruins 78-69 in a hard-fought battle in the Sweet 16 round of the 2024 NCAA women's basketball tournament on Saturday.

Both Reese and Johnson recorded double-doubles for the victorious Tigers, as Reese finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and four steals, and Johnson contributed a game-high 24 points to go with 12 rebounds.

Reese was in foul trouble for much of the game and picked up her fourth foul less than two minutes into the fourth quarter, but she managed to remain productive in the final frame and came through in clutch moments, including scoring six points over the last 10 minutes.

While Reese fouled out with 31.5 seconds remaining, the Tigers were up by six points and were able to hang on.

Fans heralded Reese's performance on X, praising her for being able to elevate her game in the big moments:

Angel Reese slander so weird because she’s a really impactful basketball player.

— Brandon Davis (@Brandon___Davis) March 30, 2024

Angel Reese clutch up in this game 👏👏

— Devon (@Vonnyvon95) March 30, 2024

Say what you want about Angel Reese, that girl is a LEADER!!! Geaux Tigers 🔥🔥

— Kwadwo Odom (@callmekwad) March 30, 2024

https://twitter.com/WhoisXadrian/status/1774154631939043434

Say what you want bout angel reese but she gets It done every time

— Ty Crane (@tycranespotify) March 30, 2024

While Reese was at her best in the fourth quarter, LSU likely would not have been within striking distance if not for Johnson's play earlier in the game.

Johnson was quiet for much of the fourth quarter, but she did provide one of the biggest buckets of the game, extending the LSU lead to four with 44 seconds remaining on a tough layup:

FLAU’JAE IS TOO CLUTCH 😤

(via @LSUwbkb)pic.twitter.com/4zJCce9AiT

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 30, 2024

Like Reese, Johnson received her flowers from those who watched the game and commented on her effort on X:

Flau’jae. pic.twitter.com/ODmupM0pay

— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) March 30, 2024

FLAU’JAE JOHNSON IS HER

— Ashley Nicole Moss (@AshNicoleMoss) March 30, 2024

This is Flau'jae’s team

— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) March 30, 2024

Where would LSU be without Flau'jae in this tournament.... here spirit is UNDENIABLE.

— Ros Gold-Onwude (@ROSGO21) March 30, 2024

Angel Reese and Flau’jae when da game on da line pic.twitter.com/06pOpeCimF

— Send Da Video (@Xce11ent) March 30, 2024

Angel Reese has been spectacular, but Flau’jae has been the MVP of today’s game. She’s brought the energy, leadership, big buckets and maturity. She has delivered in a big way. https://t.co/QmDgjuUo7p

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) March 30, 2024

LSU trailed 67-64 with 2:51 left in the game, but the Tigers went on a 14-2 run the rest of the way to punch their ticket to the Elite Eight.

The Tigers came to play on Saturday, and they will face either No. 1 Iowa or No. 5 Colorado for a spot in the Final Four.