LSU guards give emotional defense of Angel Reese following tough Elite Eight loss

And so a hard-fought season filled with ups and downs comes to its final close. Earlier this evening, No. 3 LSU (31-6) women’s basketball fell against No. 1 Iowa (33-4) by a score of 94-87, with the Hawkeyes officially earning their bid to the Final Four. Even having just suffered the loss, LSU guard Hailey Van Lith and Flau’jae Johnson took the time during the postgame press conference to talk about their senior forward Angel Reese and what it means to be her teammate.

Star forward Angel Reese takes a moment to speak up for herself following difficult Elite Eight loss vs. Iowa

It’s never an easy thing for someone to be under a constant spotlight. It becomes even more difficult when the person involved is an 18-22-year old college athlete. For star forward Angel Reese and LSU women’s basketball, this is all they’ve known over the last year.

At the time, winning the 2023 national championship placed the Tigers on top of a mountain, and they were officially crowned the Queens of women’s college basketball.

Relatively unsurprisingly, with the praise came plenty of criticism, and it’s something that never exactly went unnoticed by star forward Angel Reese. Even so, for the most part, the attention is something she was able to put behind her, as she found herself seemingly always on the move whether it be leading her team or doing off-court work from a Name, Image and Likeness standpoint.

Reebok signs Angel Reese to NIL deal 🔥

Shaq’s first move after becoming president 🤝 pic.twitter.com/bjCLyuTPRt

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 17, 2023

Still, following this evening’s heartbreaking loss in what may have been her final game with the purple and gold, she finally allowed herself to speak openly in regard to what the last year or so did to her from a mental standpoint.

“I don’t really get to stand up for myself. I mean, I have great teammates, I have a great support system, I’ve got my hometown, I’ve got my family that stands up for me – I don’t really get to speak out on things just because I try to ignore, and I just try to stand strong.

“I’ve been through so much, I’ve seen so much, I’ve been attacked so many times,” the star forward continued while speaking with the media following tonight’s Elite Eight loss vs. Iowa. “Death threats, I’ve been sexualized, I’ve been threatened – I’ve been so many things and I’ve stood strong every single time. And I just try to stand strong for my teammates because I don’t want them to see me down and not be there for them.”

There was never a moment to breathe for the Baltimore, MD, product turned ‘Bayou Barbie.’ She was almost thrown into the national spotlight, and for many, she became an immediate inspiration.

As difficult as it may have been for the talented forward, she also wanted to make it clear that she wouldn’t change a thing if she had the option. After explaining what she’d gone through, Angel Reese also spoke about the importance of continuing to be true to herself, even through any criticisms she may receive along the way.

“I just want everyone to know, 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. And it sucks, but I still wouldn’t change. I wouldn’t change anything, and I would still sit here and say I’m unapologetically me.

“I’m gonna always leave that mark, and be who I am and stand on that,” Reese said with an aura of confidence in her voice. “Hopefully the little girls that look up to me, and hopefully I give them some type of inspiration, and hopefully it’s not this hard in all the things that come at you, but keep being who you are. Keep waking up everyday, keep being motivated, staying who you are, stand ten toes, don’t back down and just be confident.”

Despite the constant distraction outside of the court over the past month or so, the star LSU women’s basketball forward came out during today’s matchup with something to prove. She put on quite the show right from the start, recording a total of 17 points, 20 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals on the day. Unfortunately for her and her team, her elite level of play just wasn’t quite enough in the end to get a win.

LSU women’s basketball guards Flau’jae Johnson and Hailey Van Lith give an emotional defense of their teammate

Notably, Reese wasn’t the only one aware of the extra efforts she was needing to put forward over the last year or so. During the postgame press conference, LSU guards Flau’jae Johnson and Hailey Van Lith echoed some of her sentiments, giving an emotional defense along the way.

“Everybody can have their opinion on Angel Reese, 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 everyday is a strong person; is a caring and loving person. The crown she wears is heavy, bro,” sophomore guard Flau’jae Johnson explained when describing her teammate.

“She’s the type of teammate that’s gonna make you believe in yourself. The leap that I took from my freshman to sophomore year, Angel gave me that confidence to go be a ‘dawg,'” she continued. “This is my sister right here. I’m so proud of her. The media – how they like to twist, and call it a villain and all of that, y’all don’t know Angel. I’m just happy that I get to play with her. I get to be around her presence. Her energy is different. She makes me a better player. She makes me a better player, and that’s what great players do.”

Angel Reese’s resume hangs with some of the best:

-NCAA champ & MOP
-SEC POY
-3x First-team All-Conference
-3x All-Defensive Team

Made her mark 🙌 pic.twitter.com/55wjZPeMCH

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 2, 2024

The second-year star wasn’t the only one who had thoughts on what Angel Reese had done from a teammate’s point of view. Even despite being a part of the LSU women’s basketball program for just one season, senior guard Hailey Van Lith had no doubts in her mind about the impact Reese has had on the Tiger group in 2024.

“Angel’s one of the toughest people I’ve been around. People speak hate into her life. I’ve never seen people wish bad things on someone as much as her, and it does not affect her.

“She comes to practice everyday, she lives her life everyday, she lives how she wants to live and she don’t let nobody change that. That’s the key to life right there. Y’all do not get to her. Let me say it again, y’all do not get to Angel Reese. So you might want to give it up, throw the towel in, because you’re wasting your energy. So, Angel’s one of the toughest people I’ve been around.”

Angel Reese has been a part of the purple and gold for two seasons now, and there’s no denying the impact she’s left on the city of Baton Rouge in the short time she’s been there. From helping to bring the women’s basketball program its first ever national championship, to putting LSU on the map as one of the biggest NIL brands in all of college athletics, it’s safe to say she’s leaving her team better than how she found it.

With one year of eligibility remaining, the senior forward still has the option to return for a fifth season and her third with the purple and gold. Following the Elite Eight loss vs. Iowa, she’ll have two days to make the final decision on whether she’ll return or make the jump to the WNBA.

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