The Guru Report: Women's Final Four Highlights From Preview Day

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

 

DALLAS, Texas – Thursday is the day for preview press conferences of the teams that have become the Women’s Final Four result in a wide range of questions cover the competition against each other but also other views about the sport and the world in general for media looking for features besides the competition coming Friday night here at the American Airlines Arena.

 

That’s when Virginia Tech, a top seed, meets three-seed LSU at 7 p.m. followed by the widely anticipated match when defending champion and top seed South Carolina, meets second seed Iowa.

 

Fueling the nightcap are the unbeaten Gamecocks (36-0) under Philadelphia-born Dawn Staley, who went wire to wire as No. 1 in the Associated Press women’s poll, now having won 42 straight and are led by Aliyah Boston, who was the consensus national player a year ago.

 

The last barrier to be navigated to reach the championship again is Iowa (30-6), ranked third in the AP final rankings and offering scoring demon Caitlin Clark, who’s been picking up all the accolades here to date, including the Naismith, AP, and United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) in the last two days.

 

In the Elite Eight win over Louisville Clark became the first female or male to connect with a 40-point triple-double, in the process to also likewise became the first to perform a 30-point triple-double.

 

It’s the second trip to the Final Four and first for Iowa since C. Vivian Stringer led the Hawks to the 1993 final four following coaching Cheyney in the very first NCAA women’s championship game in 1982 and before likewise leading Rutgers in 2000 and 2007, becoming the first female or male to do so with three different programs.

 

Virginia Tech (31-4) is making its first appearance under Kenny Brooks, a former James Madison coach from up the road in Harrisonburg who was on the other side of major Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) battles when now-Villanova coach Denise Dillon was guiding Drexel.

 

The Hokies have a talented inside-outside attack featuring Australian Georgia Amoree in the backcourt and Elizabeth Kitlee in the post.

 

LSU (32-2), a past participant, arrives as an unheard of rapid two-year build under Kim Mulkey, who won three NCAA crowns with Baylor, one an unbeaten run featuring Brittney Griner. 

 

Mulkey has said the key, which wasn’t as much a factor when she was hired away to return to her home state, was the rise of the transfer portal that netted former Maryland standsout Angel Reese, and former Texas A&M talent Alexis Morris.

 

Here are highlights of the sessions plus other associate activities alongside the Women’s Final Four.

 

It took the whole session during LSU’s turn, but Mulkey, who took umbrage in the early fall for not offering support for Griner when she was in a Russian prison, said they hadn’t spoken since her return to the states but “I’m glad she’s back. I’m glad she’s safe, she’s sound, I think everybody is.”

 

Staley was previously named the USBWA coach of the year. On Thursday she was announced as the choice of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) while Indiana’s Teri Moren Teri Moren was named the AP’s winner. On Wednesday Staley was also named the Naismith coach of the year.

 

Asked if she had interest in the Temple men’s job when it opened, though filled on Wednesday where she previously coaches the Owls women’s squad, Staley quickly put the kibosh on, saying she had no interest coaching men.

 

“Besides,” she let out a grin, “it’s cold up there.”

 

Drexel’s Keishana Washington, who’s career closed in a WNIT opener several weeks ago with 2,263 points, making her the all-time leading Canadian scorer within the NCAA, is down here to attend a combine ahead of the WNBA draft on April 10.

 

Washington is listed as second with a 27.7 average to Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist (29.2) and ahead of Iowa’s Clark (27.3).

 

Siegrist, Villanova’s first first-team all-American, is here and continues to be named on other all-America teams, in the first group when three teams of fives are listed, or on ten-member team lists.

 

Several sources have indicated Siegrist drew a very strong vote in the Katrina McClain competition involving five position awards.

 

The winners here will be announced here on Saturday.

 

Kenny Brooks of his Virginia Tech bunch advancing here for the first time noted, we may have a different name, but we were up there most of the season.

 

We won the ACC.

 

We deserved a No. 1 seed.

 

The Hokies have won 15 straight finished fourth in the final AP rankings.

 

Tickets on the secondary market are substantially higher for the Women’s Final Four here than the men’ side in Houston.

 

The women have all the top women’s stars and the name recognition, even without Tennessee, Stanford, or UConn in the field.

 

However, the venue here is smaller.

 

“It’s been building towards this for a long time,” Staley said. “Fortunately for us – not just South Carolina, but us as women’s basketball. We’ve got a lot of star power behind our sport.”

 

“It’s pretty neat that it’s sold out,” Mulkey said. “The cheapest ticket is more expensive than the cheapest ticket in Houston for the men’s Final Four. I thought that was eye-catching.”

 

Smarts continue to show in the women’s game. 

 

The College Sports Communicators Academic All-Americans include three Division I first teamers – Iowa’s Clark; South Carolina’s Boston; and Virginia Tech’s Kitley.

 

Minnesota Duluth, which will play for the Division II title here on Saturday, has Brooke Olsen. while Christopher Newport, playing for the Division III title; has Sondra Fan on the third team.

 

That’s the report.

 

 

 

 

 

        

 

 

      

The Guru's Report: Reese Leads LSU into Final Four

 

By ROB KNOX (@knoxrob1)

 

Faith and hard work fueled Angel Reese's sterling season. 

 

“I pray before every game,” said Reese, a sophomore forward for the LSU women’s basketball team. “So that's my time to get my prayer together by myself. I pray in the morning when I wake up. I pray -- I read my demotion every morning, then I pray with Auntie Chanté on staff, then I pray by myself, and then I get one more going up before the game. 

 

“This year has been something that I've been a lot closer to God, and I think that's why I'm here right now in this position. 

A year ago -- it's crazy how my life changed in a year. I was back home by this time. So just being able to be in this moment, like (LSU teammate) Alexis (Morris) said, God did.”

 

That moment is in the 2023 NCAA Women's Final Four in Dallas.

 

It's always a great day when one of the elite players of any sport gets an opportunity to perform on the national stage.

 

With an astounding 32 double-doubles in 34 games, Reese leads LSU into Friday's star-studded Final Four against top-seed Virginia Tech at 7 p.m.

 The nightcap features No. 1 ranked, undefeated, and reigning national champion South Carolina against No. 2 seed Iowa and guard Caitlin Clark in one of the most anticipated women's basketball matchups ever. 

 

Both games will be televised live by ESPN.

 

“I knew we had the talent for sure,” Reese said after LSU beat Miami in the regional Final. 

“I didn't know how we would piece it together, and that was our theme for the year, piecing it together. 

ÑI don't know what game I saw. I knew a couple of games got chippy, and we had each other's back, and we were going at it. 

“Because Coach is intense, and she's going to have our back through everything. 

 

“And then seeing each other, ride for each other through everything, through thick and thin, that has been a point in the season where this is the closest, I've ever been to teammates. 

 “Hanging out with them outside of basketball and just doing so much, loving them like these are my real sisters.”

 

Nicknamed the "Bayou Barbie," Reese storms the court with a disposition to dominate while performing with grit and grace. Reese is a menacing defensive presence. Sometimes her on-court demeanor has been unfairly criticized by bleacher critics. 

 

Reese doesn't care because she's a competitor with a genuine love for the game. 

 

She has her family and teammates. That's all that matters. 

 

“I think you just have to take the good with the bad,” Reese said. “I love all the positive things that I've gotten all year and being able to grow women's basketball, of course. I don't think I would be able to do this anywhere else other than LSU. 

“Just being able to be here in this moment and embracing it. But of course, the negative; I don't listen to much of the negative.

“ My coaches and teammates have my back when it comes down to many negative things. Having such an amazing support system behind me through everything is just something that's always been important.”

 

Yet, what people rarely see behind the scenes is the additional time that Reese takes out of her schedule to snap selfies with fans, sign autographs, and become the face of the LSU basketball team.

 The Maryland transfer -- who writes with her right hand and shoots with her left hand -- also has a unique style of wearing one leg sleeve and her shorts rolled up, born from the adversity she endured during her freshman year. 

 

“Well, first, I had surgery two years ago on my shin,” Reese said during the Greenville Regional 2 press conference. “I have a rod in my leg.

“ Many people don't know that. But I cover my scar, for one, and then the two players that I admire, Te'a Cooper and A'ja Wilson, they wear it, too, so it's swag, but it's also I've got to cover my scar.”

 

Reese has developed into one of the best players in the country as evidenced by being fifth in the nation in scoring (23.2 points per game) and second nationally in rebounding (15.7). 

 

She has benefited from playing under legendary coach Kim Mulkey, who has challenged her during the season to raise her game. Yet, Mulkey has enjoyed watching Reese respond and be a force.

 

“She's, in my eyes, growing and understanding the game,” Mulkey said. “Let's talk about the defensive end, getting in a stance, staying in a stance, don't rely on your talent to make up for things. Imagine how good you can be if you do things before, they happen.

“ She is a person that I would put on anybody on the opposing team. I haven't had many post players -- I'd have to think long and hard -- that I would say could guard any position on the floor. I wouldn't have any problem putting Angel on a point guard or any player on the floor. 

 

“But she just gets better and better. The double-doubles, we see a lot of that, and it's great, and it's phenomenal. 

“But Angel has improved on the little things, from practice habits to jumping just a bit higher to finishing and getting her field goal percentage higher. Free throws -- when the season started, she wasn't making her free throws, and she looked at me and said, I will make them when they count, and I will make them when we get to SEC play, and she has.”

 

The most significant victory occurs away from the court for Reese, who enthusiastically embraces her status as a role model and one of the faces of college women's basketball. 

 

“We're just more than an athlete,” Reese said. “I was just talking to Carolyn Peck about being a Black woman and having an impact on all communities, 

“White, Black, Mexican. It doesn't matter who, old or young, I've made an impact, and we've all impacted different kinds of people. 

 

“Positively embracing that, I've helped to grow women's basketball within the last six months, and being able to do that, I've grown my platform on and off the court. I'm more than an athlete; just being able to embrace that and having people respect women's basketball, I love it.

M me. So, for the little girls that are looking up to me, just for giving them the inspiration to know they can do this also means a lot to me.”

By ROB KNOX (@knoxrob1)

 

Faith and hard work fueled Angel Reese's sterling season. 

 

“I pray before every game,” said Reese, a sophomore forward for the LSU women’s basketball team. “So that's my time to get my prayer together by myself. I pray in the morning when I wake up. I pray -- I read my demotion every morning, then I pray with Auntie Chanté on staff, then I pray by myself, and then I get one more going up before the game. 

 

“This year has been something that I've been a lot closer to God, and I think that's why I'm here right now in this position. A year ago -- it's crazy how my life changed in a year. I was back home by this time. So just being able to be in this moment, like (LSU teammate) Alexis (Morris) said, God did.”

 

That moment is in the 2023 NCAA Women's Final Four in Dallas.

 

It's always a great day when one of the elite players of any sport gets an opportunity to perform on the national stage.

 

With an astounding 32 double-doubles in 34 games, Reese leads LSU into Friday's star-studded Final Four against top-seed Virginia Tech at 7 p.m. The nightcap features No. 1 ranked, undefeated, and reigning national champion South Carolina against No. 2 seed Iowa and guard Caitlin Clark in one of the most anticipated women's basketball matchups ever. 

 

Both games will be televised live by ESPN.

 

“I knew we had the talent for sure,” Reese said after LSU beat Miami in the regional Final. “I didn't know how we would piece it together, and that was our theme for the year, piecing it together. I don't know what game I saw. I knew a couple of games got chippy, and we had each other's back, and we were going at it. Because Coach is intense, and she's going to have our back through everything. 

 

“And then seeing each other, ride for each other through everything, through thick and thin, that has been a point in the season where this is the closest, I've ever been to teammates. Hanging out with them outside of basketball and just doing so much, loving them like these are my real sisters.”

 

Nicknamed the "Bayou Barbie," Reese storms the court with a disposition to dominate while performing with grit and grace. Reese is a menacing defensive presence. Sometimes her on-court demeanor has been unfairly criticized by bleacher critics. 

 

Reese doesn't care because she's a competitor with a genuine love for the game. 

 

She has her family and teammates. That's all that matters. 

 

“I think you just have to take the good with the bad,” Reese said. “I love all the positive things that I've gotten all year and being able to grow women's basketball, of course. I don't think I would be able to do this anywhere else other than LSU. Just being able to be here in this moment and embracing it. But of course, the negative; I don't listen to much of the negative. My coaches and teammates have my back when it comes down to many negative things. Having such an amazing support system behind me through everything is just something that's always been important.”

 

Yet, what people rarely see behind the scenes is the additional time that Reese takes out of her schedule to snap selfies with fans, sign autographs, and become the face of the LSU basketball team. The Maryland transfer -- who writes with her right hand and shoots with her left hand -- also has a unique style of wearing one leg sleeve and her shorts rolled up, born from the adversity she endured during her freshman year. 

 

“Well, first, I had surgery two years ago on my shin,” Reese said during the Greenville Regional press conference. “I have a rod in my leg. Many people don't know that. But I cover my scar, for one, and then the two players that I admire, Te'a Cooper and A'ja Wilson, they wear it, too, so it's swag, but it's also I've got to cover my scar.”

 

Reese has developed into one of the best players in the country as evidenced by being fifth in the nation in scoring (23.2 points per game) and second nationally in rebounding (15.7). 

 

She has benefited from playing under legendary coach Kim Mulkey, who has challenged her during the season to raise her game. Yet, Mulkey has enjoyed watching Reese respond and be a force.

 

“She's, in my eyes, growing and understanding the game,” Mulkey said. “Let's talk about the defensive end, getting in a stance, staying in a stance, don't rely on your talent to make up for things. Imagine how good you can be if you do things before, they happen. She is a person that I would put on anybody on the opposing team. I haven't had many post players -- I'd have to think long and hard -- that I would say could guard any position on the floor. I wouldn't have any problem putting Angel on a point guard or any player on the floor. 

 

“But she just gets better and better. The double-doubles, we see a lot of that, and it's great, and it's phenomenal. But Angel has improved on the little things, from practice habits to jumping just a bit higher to finishing and getting her field goal percentage higher. Free throws -- when the season started, she wasn't making her free throws, and she looked at me and said, I will make them when they count, and I will make them when we get to SEC play, and she has.”

 

The most significant victory occurs away from the court for Reese, who enthusiastically embraces her status as a role model and one of the faces of college women's basketball. 

 

“We're just more than an athlete,” Reese said. “I was just talking to Carolyn Peck about being a Black woman and having an impact on all communities, White, Black, Mexican. It doesn't matter who, old or young, I've made an impact, and we've all impacted different kinds of people. 

 

“Positively embracing that, I've helped to grow women's basketball within the last six months, and being able to do that, I've grown my platform on and off the court. I'm more than an athlete; just being able to embrace that and having people respect women's basketball, I love it. So, for the little girls that are looking up to me, just for giving them the inspiration to know they can do this also means a lot to me.”

Peace & blessings,

By ROB KNOX (@knoxrob1)

 

Faith and hard work fueled Angel Reese's sterling season. 

 

“I pray before every game,” said Reese, a sophomore forward for the LSU women’s basketball team. “So that's my time to get my prayer together by myself. I pray in the morning when I wake up. I pray -- I read my demotion every morning, then I pray with Auntie Chanté on staff, then I pray by myself, and then I get one more going up before the game. 

 

“This year has been something that I've been a lot closer to God, and I think that's why I'm here right now in this position. A year ago -- it's crazy how my life changed in a year. I was back home by this time. So just being able to be in this moment, like (LSU teammate) Alexis (Morris) said, God did.”

 

That moment is in the 2023 NCAA Women's Final Four in Dallas.

 

It's always a great day when one of the elite players of any sport gets an opportunity to perform on the national stage.

 

With an astounding 32 double-doubles in 34 games, Reese leads LSU into Friday's star-studded Final Four against top-seed Virginia Tech at 7 p.m. The nightcap features No. 1 ranked, undefeated, and reigning national champion South Carolina against No. 2 seed Iowa and guard Caitlin Clark in one of the most anticipated women's basketball matchups ever. 

 

Both games will be televised live by ESPN.

 

“I knew we had the talent for sure,” Reese said after LSU beat Miami in the regional Final. “I didn't know how we would piece it together, and that was our theme for the year, piecing it together. I don't know what game I saw. I knew a couple of games got chippy, and we had each other's back, and we were going at it. Because Coach is intense, and she's going to have our back through everything. 

 

“And then seeing each other, ride for each other through everything, through thick and thin, that has been a point in the season where this is the closest, I've ever been to teammates. Hanging out with them outside of basketball and just doing so much, loving them like these are my real sisters.”

 

Nicknamed the "Bayou Barbie," Reese storms the court with a disposition to dominate while performing with grit and grace. Reese is a menacing defensive presence. Sometimes her on-court demeanor has been unfairly criticized by bleacher critics. 

 

Reese doesn't care because she's a competitor with a genuine love for the game. 

 

She has her family and teammates. That's all that matters. 

 

“I think you just have to take the good with the bad,” Reese said. “I love all the positive things that I've gotten all year and being able to grow women's basketball, of course. I don't think I would be able to do this anywhere else other than LSU. Just being able to be here in this moment and embracing it. But of course, the negative; I don't listen to much of the negative. My coaches and teammates have my back when it comes down to many negative things. Having such an amazing support system behind me through everything is just something that's always been important.”

 

Yet, what people rarely see behind the scenes is the additional time that Reese takes out of her schedule to snap selfies with fans, sign autographs, and become the face of the LSU basketball team. The Maryland transfer -- who writes with her right hand and shoots with her left hand -- also has a unique style of wearing one leg sleeve and her shorts rolled up, born from the adversity she endured during her freshman year. 

 

“Well, first, I had surgery two years ago on my shin,” Reese said during the Greenville Regional press conference. “I have a rod in my leg. Many people don't know that. But I cover my scar, for one, and then the two players that I admire, Te'a Cooper and A'ja Wilson, they wear it, too, so it's swag, but it's also I've got to cover my scar.”

 

Reese has developed into one of the best players in the country as evidenced by being fifth in the nation in scoring (23.2 points per game) and second nationally in rebounding (15.7). 

 

She has benefited from playing under legendary coach Kim Mulkey, who has challenged her during the season to raise her game. Yet, Mulkey has enjoyed watching Reese respond and be a force.

 

“She's, in my eyes, growing and understanding the game,” Mulkey said. “Let's talk about the defensive end, gett

By ROB KNOX (@knoxrob1)

 

Faith and hard work fueled Angel Reese's sterling season. 

 

“I pray before every game,” said Reese, a sophomore forward for the LSU women’s basketball team. “So that's my time to get my prayer together by myself. I pray in the morning when I wake up. I pray -- I read my demotion every morning, then I pray with Auntie Chanté on staff, then I pray by myself, and then I get one more going up before the game. 

 

“This year has been something that I've been a lot closer to God, and I think that's why I'm here right now in this position. A year ago -- it's crazy how my life changed in a year. I was back home by this time. So just being able to be in this moment, like (LSU teammate) Alexis (Morris) said, God did.”

 

That moment is in the 2023 NCAA Women's Final Four in Dallas.

 

It's always a great day when one of the elite players of any sport gets an opportunity to perform on the national stage.

 

With an astounding 32 double-doubles in 34 games, Reese leads LSU into Friday's star-studded Final Four against top-seed Virginia Tech at 7 p.m. The nightcap features No. 1 ranked, undefeated, and reigning national champion South Carolina against No. 2 seed Iowa and guard Caitlin Clark in one of the most anticipated women's basketball matchups ever. 

 

Both games will be televised live by ESPN.

 

“I knew we had the talent for sure,” Reese said after LSU beat Miami in the regional Final. “I didn't know how we would piece it together, and that was our theme for the year, piecing it together. I don't know what game I saw. I knew a couple of games got chippy, and we had each other's back, and we were going at it. Because Coach is intense, and she's going to have our back through everything. 

 

“And then seeing each other, ride for each other through everything, through thick and thin, that has been a point in the season where this is the closest, I've ever been to teammates. Hanging out with them outside of basketball and just doing so much, loving them like these are my real sisters.”

 

Nicknamed the "Bayou Barbie," Reese storms the court with a disposition to dominate while performing with grit and grace. Reese is a menacing defensive presence. Sometimes her on-court demeanor has been unfairly criticized by bleacher critics. 

 

Reese doesn't care because she's a competitor with a genuine love for the game. 

 

She has her family and teammates. That's all that matters. 

 

“I think you just have to take the good with the bad,” Reese said. “I love all the positive things that I've gotten all year and being able to grow women's basketball, of course. I don't think I would be able to do this anywhere else other than LSU. Just being able to be here in this moment and embracing it. But of course, the negative; I don't listen to much of the negative. My coaches and teammates have my back when it comes down to many negative things. Having such an amazing support system behind me through everything is just something that's always been important.”

 

Yet, what people rarely see behind the scenes is the additional time that Reese takes out of her schedule to snap selfies with fans, sign autographs, and become the face of the LSU basketball team. The Maryland transfer -- who writes with her right hand and shoots with her left hand -- also has a unique style of wearing one leg sleeve and her shorts rolled up, born from the adversity she endured during her freshman year. 

 

“Well, first, I had surgery two years ago on my shin,” Reese said during the Greenville Regional press conference. “I have a rod in my leg. Many people don't know that. But I cover my scar, for one, and then the two players that I admire, Te'a Cooper and A'ja Wilson, they wear it, too, so it's swag, but it's also I've got to cover my scar.”

 

Reese has developed into one of the best players in the country as evidenced by being fifth in the nation in scoring (23.2 points per game) and second nationally in rebounding (15.7). 

 

She has benefited from playing under legendary coach Kim Mulkey, who has challenged her during the season to raise her game. Yet, Mulkey has enjoyed watching Reese respond and be a force.

 

“She's, in my eyes, growing and understanding the game,” Mulkey said. “Let's talk about the defensive end, getting in a stance, staying in a stance, don't rely on your talent to make up for things. Imagine how good you can be if you do things before, they happen. She is a person that I would put on anybody on the opposing team. I haven't had many post players -- I'd have to think long and hard -- that I would say could guard any position on the floor. I wouldn't have any problem putting Angel on a point guard or any player on the floor. 

 

“But she just gets better and better. The double-doubles, we see a lot of that, and it's great, and it's phenomenal. But Angel has improved on the little things, from practice habits to jumping just a bit higher to finishing and getting her field goal percentage higher. Free throws -- when the season started, she wasn't making her free throws, and she looked at me and said, I will make them when they count, and I will make them when we get to SEC play, and she has.”

By ROB KNOX (@knoxrob1)

 

Faith and hard work fueled Angel Reese's sterling season. 

 

“I pray before every game,” said Reese, a sophomore forward for the LSU women’s basketball team. “So that's my time to get my prayer together by myself. I pray in the morning when I wake up. I pray -- I read my demotion every morning, then I pray with Auntie Chanté on staff, then I pray by myself, and then I get one more going up before the game. 

 

“This year has been something that I've been a lot closer to God, and I think that's why I'm here right now in this position. A year ago -- it's crazy how my life changed in a year. I was back home by this time. So just being able to be in this moment, like (LSU teammate) Alexis (Morris) said, God did.”

 

That moment is in the 2023 NCAA Women's Final Four in Dallas.

 

It's always a great day when one of the elite players of any sport gets an opportunity to perform on the national stage.

 

With an astounding 32 double-doubles in 34 games, Reese leads LSU into Friday's star-studded Final Four against top-seed Virginia Tech at 7 p.m. The nightcap features No. 1 ranked, undefeated, and reigning national champion South Carolina against No. 2 seed Iowa and guard Caitlin Clark in one of the most anticipated women's basketball matchups ever. 

 

Both games will be televised live by ESPN.

 

“I knew we had the talent for sure,” Reese said after LSU beat Miami in the regional Final. “I didn't know how we would piece it together, and that was our theme for the year, piecing it together. I don't know what game I saw. I knew a couple of games got chippy, and we had each other's back, and we were going at it. Because Coach is intense, and she's going to have our back through everything. 

 

“And then seeing each other, ride for each other through everything, through thick and thin, that has been a point in the season where this is the closest, I've ever been to teammates. Hanging out with them outside of basketball and just doing so much, loving them like these are my real sisters.”

 

Nicknamed the "Bayou Barbie," Reese storms the court with a disposition to dominate while performing with grit and grace. Reese is a menacing defensive presence. Sometimes her on-court demeanor has been unfairly criticized by bleacher critics. 

 

Reese doesn't care because she's a competitor with a genuine love for the game. 

 

She has her family and teammates. That's all that matters. 

 

“I think you just have to take the good with the bad,” Reese said. “I love all the positive things that I've gotten all year and being able to grow women's basketball, of course. I don't think I would be able to do this anywhere else other than LSU. Just being able to be here in this moment and embracing it. But of course, the negative; I don't listen to much of the negative. My coaches and teammates have my back when it comes down to many negative things. Having such an amazing support system behind me through everything is just something that's always been important.”

 

Yet, what people rarely see behind the scenes is the additional time that Reese takes out of her schedule to snap selfies with fans, sign autographs, and become the face of the LSU basketball team. The Maryland transfer -- who writes with her right hand and shoots with her left hand -- also has a unique style of wearing one leg sleeve and her shorts rolled up, born from the adversity she endured during her freshman year. 

 

“Well, first, I had surgery two years ago on my shin,” Reese said during the Greenville Regional press conference. “I have a rod in my leg. Many people don't know that. But I cover my scar, for one, and then the two players that I admire, Te'a Cooper and A'ja Wilson, they wear it, too, so it's swag, but it's also I've got to cover my scar.”

 

Reese has developed into one of the best players in the country as evidenced by being fifth in the nation in scoring (23.2 points per game) and second nationally in rebounding (15.7). 

 

She has benefited from playing under legendary coach Kim Mulkey, who has challenged her during the season to raise her game. Yet, Mulkey has enjoyed watching Reese respond and be a force.

 

“She's, in my eyes, growing and understanding the game,” Mulkey said. “Let's talk about the defensive end, getting in a stance, staying in a stance, don't rely on your talent to make up for things. Imagine how good you can be if you do things before, they happen. She is a person that I would put on anybody on the opposing team. I haven't had many post players -- I'd have to think long and hard -- that I would say could guard any position on the floor. I wouldn't have any problem putting Angel on a point guard or any player on the floor. 

 

“But she just gets better and better. The double-doubles, we see a lot of that, and it's great, and it's phenomenal. But Angel has improved on the little things, from practice habits to jumping just a bit higher to finishing and getting her field goal percentage higher. Free throws -- when the season started, she wasn't making her free throws, and she looked at me and said, I will make them when they count, and I will make them when we get to SEC play, and she has.”

 

The most significant victory occurs away from the court for Reese, who enthusiastically embraces her status as a role model and one of the faces of college women's basketball. 

 

“We're just more than an athlete,” Reese said. “I was just talking to Carolyn Peck about being a Black woman and having an impact on all communities, White, Black, Mexican. It doesn't matter who, old or young, I've made an impact, and we've all impacted different kinds of people. 

 

“Positively embracing that, I've helped to grow women's basketball within the last six months, and being able to do that, I've grown my platform on and off the court. I'm more than an athlete; just being able to embrace that and having people respect women's basketball, I love it. So, for the little girls that are looking up to me, just for giving them the inspiration to know they can do this also means a lot to me.”

Peace & blessings,

By ROB KNOX (@knoxrob1)

 

Faith and hard work fueled Angel Reese's sterling season. 

 

“I pray before every game,” said Reese, a sophomore forward for the LSU women’s basketball team. “So that's my time to get my prayer together by myself. I pray in the morning when I wake up. I pray -- I read my demotion every morning, then I pray with Auntie Chanté on staff, then I pray by myself, and then I get one more going up before the game. 

 

“This year has been something that I've been a lot closer to God, and I think that's why I'm here right now in this position. A year ago -- it's crazy how my life changed in a year. I was back home by this time. So just being able to be in this moment, like (LSU teammate) Alexis (Morris) said, God did.”

 

That moment is in the 2023 NCAA Women's Final Four in Dallas.

 

It's always a great day when one of the elite players of any sport gets an opportunity to perform on the national stage.

 

With an astounding 32 double-doubles in 34 games, Reese leads LSU into Friday's star-studded Final Four against top-seed Virginia Tech at 7 p.m. The nightcap features No. 1 ranked, undefeated, and reigning national champion South Carolina against No. 2 seed Iowa and guard Caitlin Clark in one of the most anticipated women's basketball matchups ever. 

 

Both games will be televised live by ESPN.

 

“I knew we had the talent for sure,” Reese said after LSU beat Miami in the regional Final. “I didn't know how we would piece it together, and that was our theme for the year, piecing it together. I don't know what game I saw. I knew a couple of games got chippy, and we had each other's back, and we were going at it. Because Coach is intense, and she's going to have our back through everything. 

 

“And then seeing each other, ride for each other through everything, through thick and thin, that has been a point in the season where this is the closest, I've ever been to teammates. Hanging out with them outside of basketball and just doing so much, loving them like these are my real sisters.”

 

Nicknamed the "Bayou Barbie," Reese storms the court with a disposition to dominate while performing with grit and grace. Reese is a menacing defensive presence. Sometimes her on-court demeanor has been unfairly criticized by bleacher critics. 

 

Reese doesn't care because she's a competitor with a genuine love for the game. 

 

She has her family and teammates. That's all that matters. 

 

“I think you just have to take the good with the bad,” Reese said. “I love all the positive things that I've gotten all year and being able to grow women's basketball, of course. I don't think I would be able to do this anywhere else other than LSU. Just being able to be here in this moment and embracing it. But of course, the negative; I don't listen to much of the negative. My coaches and teammates have my back when it comes down to many negative things. Having such an amazing support system behind me through everything is just something that's always been important.”

 

Yet, what people rarely see behind the scenes is the additional time that Reese takes out of her schedule to snap selfies with fans, sign autographs, and become the face of the LSU basketball team. The Maryland transfer -- who writes with her right hand and shoots with her left hand -- also has a unique style of wearing one leg sleeve and her shorts rolled up, born from the adversity she endured during her freshman year. 

 

“Well, first, I had surgery two years ago on my shin,” Reese said during the Greenville Regional press conference. “I have a rod in my leg. Many people don't know that. But I cover my scar, for one, and then the two players that I admire, Te'a Cooper and A'ja Wilson, they wear it, too, so it's swag, but it's also I've got to cover my scar.”

 

Reese has developed into one of the best players in the country as evidenced by being fifth in the nation in scoring (23.2 points per game) and second nationally in rebounding (15.7). 

 

She has benefited from playing under legendary coach Kim Mulkey, who has challenged her during the season to raise her game. Yet, Mulkey has enjoyed watching Reese respond and be a force.

 

“She's, in my eyes, growing and understanding the game,” Mulkey said. “Let's talk about the defensive end, getting in a stance, staying in a stance, don't rely on your talent to make up for things. Imagine how good you can be if you do things before, they happen. She is a person that I would put on anybody on the opposing team. I haven't had many post players -- I'd have to think long and hard -- that I would say could guard any position on the floor. I wouldn't have any problem putting Angel on a point guard or any player on the floor. 

 

“But she just gets better and better. The double-doubles, we see a lot of that, and it's great, and it's phenomenal. But Angel has improved on the little things, from practice habits to jumping just a bit higher to finishing and getting her field goal percentage higher. Free throws -- when the season started, she wasn't making her free throws, and she looked at me and said, I will make them when they count, and I will make them when we get to SEC play, and she has.”

 

The most significant 

By ROB KNOX (@knoxrob1)

 

Faith and hard work fueled Angel Reese's sterling season. 

 

“I pray before every game,” said Reese, a sophomore forward for the LSU women’s basketball team. “So that's my time to get my prayer together by myself. I pray in the morning when I wake up. I pray -- I read my demotion every morning, then I pray with Auntie Chanté on staff, then I pray by myself, and then I get one more going up before the game. 

 

“This year has been something that I've been a lot closer to God, and I think that's why I'm here right now in this position. A year ago -- it's crazy how my life changed in a year. I was back home by this time. So just being able to be in this moment, like (LSU teammate) Alexis (Morris) said, God did.”

 

That moment is in the 2023 NCAA Women's Final Four in Dallas.

 

It's always a great day when one of the elite players of any sport gets an opportunity to perform on the national stage.

 

With an astounding 32 double-doubles in 34 games, Reese leads LSU into Friday's star-studded Final Four against top-seed Virginia Tech at 7 p.m. The nightcap features No. 1 ranked, undefeated, and reigning national champion South Carolina against No. 2 seed Iowa and guard Caitlin Clark in one of the most anticipated women's basketball matchups ever. 

 

Both games will be televised live by ESPN.

 

“I knew we had the talent for sure,” Reese said after LSU beat Miami in the regional Final. “I didn't know how we would piece it together, and that was our theme for the year, piecing it together. I don't know what game I saw. I knew a couple of games got chippy, and we had each other's back, and we were going at it. Because Coach is intense, and she's going to have our back through everything. 

 

“And then seeing each other, ride for each other through everything, through thick and thin, that has been a point in the season where this is the closest, I've ever been to teammates. Hanging out with them outside of basketball and just doing so much, loving them like these are my real sisters.”

 

Nicknamed the "Bayou Barbie," Reese storms the court with a disposition to dominate while performing with grit and grace. Reese is a menacing defensive presence. Sometimes her on-court demeanor has been unfairly criticized by bleacher critics. 

 

Reese doesn't care because she's a competitor with a genuine love for the game. 

 

She has her family and teammates. That's all that matters. 

 

“I think you just have to take the good with the bad,” Reese said. “I love all the positive things that I've gotten all year and being able to grow women's basketball, of course. I don't think I would be able to do this anywhere else other than LSU. Just being able to be here in this moment and embracing it. But of course, the negative; I don't listen to much of the negative. My coaches and teammates have my back when it comes down to many negative things. Having such an amazing support system behind me through everything is just something that's always been important.”

 

Yet, what people rarely see behind the scenes is the additional time that Reese takes out of her schedule to snap selfies with fans, sign autographs, and become the face of the LSU basketball team. The Maryland transfer -- who writes with her right hand and shoots with her left hand -- also has a unique style of wearing one leg sleeve and her shorts rolled up, born from the adversity she endured during her freshman year. 

 

“Well, first, I had surgery two years ago on my shin,” Reese said during the Greenville Regional press conference. “I have a rod in my leg. Many people don't know that. But I cover my scar, for one, and then the two players that I admire, Te'a Cooper and A'ja Wilson, they wear it, too, so it's swag, but it's also I've got to cover my scar.”

 

Reese has developed into one of the best players in the country as evidenced by being fifth in the nation in scoring (23.2 points per game) and second nationally in rebounding (15.7). 

 

She has benefited from playing under legendary coach Kim Mulkey, who has challenged her during the season to raise her game. Yet, Mulkey has enjoyed watching Reese respond and be a force.

 

“She's, in my eyes, growing and understanding the game,” Mulkey said. “Let's talk about the defensive end, getting in a stance, staying in a stance, don't rely on your talent to make up for things. Imagine how good you can be if you do things before, they happen. She is a person that I would put on anybody on the opposing team. I haven't had many post players -- I'd have to think long and hard -- that I would say could guard any position on the floor. I wouldn't have any problem putting Angel on a point guard or any player on the floor. 

 

“But she just gets better and better. The double-doubles, we see a lot of that, and it's great, and it's phenomenal. But Angel has improved on the little things, from practice habits to jumping just a bit higher to finishing and getting her field goal percentage higher. Free throws -- when the season started, she wasn't making her free throws, and she looked at me and said, I will make them when they count, and I will make them when we get to SEC play, and she has.”

 

The most significant victory occurs away from the court for Reese, who enthusiastically embraces her status as a role model and one of the faces of college women's basketball. 

 

“We're just more than an athlete,” Reese said. “I was just talking to Carolyn Peck about being a Black woman and having an impact on all communities, White, Black, Mexican. It doesn't matter who, old or young, I've made an impact, and we've all impacted different kinds of people. 

 

“Positively embracing that, I've helped to grow women's basketball within the last six months, and being able to do that, I've grown my platform on and off the court. I'm more than an athlete; just being able to embrace that and having people respect women's basketball, I love it. So, for the little girls that are looking up to me, just for giving them the inspiration to know they can do this also means a lot to me.”

Peace & blessings, occurs away from the court for Reese, who enthusiastically embraces her status as a role model and one of the faces of college women's basketball. 

 

“We're just more than an athlete,” Reese said. “I was just talking to Carolyn Peck about being a Black woman and having an impact on all communities, White, Black, Mexican. It doesn't matter who, old or young, I've made an impact, and we've all impacted different kinds of people. 

 

“Positively embracing that, I've helped to grow women's basketball within the last six months, and being able to do that, I've grown my platform on and off the court. I'm more than an athlete; just being able to embrace that and having people respect women's basketball, I love it. So, for the little girls that are looking up to me, just for giving them the inspiration to know they can do this also means a lot to me.”

Peace & blessings,The most significant victory occurs away from the court for Reese, who enthusiastically embraces her status as a role model and one of the faces of college women's basketball. 

 

“We're just more than an athlete,” Reese said. “I was just talking to Carolyn Peck about being a Black woman and having an impact on all communities, White, Black, Mexican. It doesn't matter who, old or young, I've made an impact, and we've all impacted different kinds of people. 

 

“Positively embracing that, I've helped to grow women's basketball within the last six months, and being able to do that, I've grown my platform on and off the court. I'm more than an athlete; just being able to embrace that and having people respect women's basketball, I love it. So, for the little girls that are looking up to me, 

By ROB KNOX (@knoxrob1)

 

Faith and hard work fueled Angel Reese's sterling season. 

 

“I pray before every game,” said Reese, a sophomore forward for the LSU women’s basketball team. “So that's my time to get my prayer together by myself. I pray in the morning when I wake up. I pray -- I read my demotion every morning, then I pray with Auntie Chanté on staff, then I pray by myself, and then I get   one more going up before the game. 

 

“This year has been something that I've been a lot closer to God, and I think that's why I'm here right now in this position. A year ago -- it's crazy how my life changed in a year. I was back home by this time. So just being able to be in this moment, like (LSU teammate) Alexis (Morris) said, God did.”

 

That moment is in the 2023 NCAA Women's Final Four in Dallas.

 

It's always a great day when one of the elite players of any sport gets an opportunity to perform on the national stage.

 

With an astounding 32 double-doubles in 34 games, Reese leads LSU into Friday's star-studded Final Four against top-seed Virginia Tech at 7 p.m. The nightcap features No. 1 ranked, undefeated, and reigning national champion South Carolina against No. 2 seed Iowa and guard Caitlin Clark in one of the most anticipated women's basketball matchups ever. 

 

Both games will be televised live by ESPN.

 

“I knew we had the talent for sure,” Reese said after LSU beat Miami in the regional Final. “I didn't know how we would piece it together, and that was our theme for the year, piecing it together. I don't know what game I saw. I knew a couple of games got chippy, and we had each other's back, and we were going at it. Because Coach is intense, and she's going to have our back through everything. 

 

“And then seeing each other, ride for each other through everything, through thick and thin, that has been a point in the season where this is the closest, I've ever been to teammates. Hanging out with them outside of basketball and just doing so much, loving them like these are my real sisters.”

 

Nicknamed the "Bayou Barbie," Reese storms the court with a disposition to dominate while performing with grit and grace. Reese is a menacing defensive presence. Sometimes her on-court demeanor has been unfairly criticized by bleacher critics. 

 

Reese doesn't care because she's a competitor with a genuine love for the game. 

 

She has her family and teammates. That's all that matters. 

 

“I think you just have to take the good with the bad,” Reese said. “I love all the positive things that I've gotten all year and being able to grow women's basketball, of course. I don't think I would be able to do this anywhere else other than LSU. Just being able to be here in this moment and embracing it. But of course, the negative; I don't listen to much of the negative. My coaches and teammates have my back when it comes down to many negative things. Having such an amazing support system behind me through everything is just something that's always been important.”

 

Yet, what people rarely see behind the scenes is the additional time that Reese takes out of her schedule to snap selfies with fans, sign autographs, and become the face of the LSU basketball team. The Maryland transfer -- who writes with her right hand and shoots with her left hand -- also has a unique style of wearing one leg sleeve and her shorts rolled up, born from the adversity she endured during her freshman year. 

 

“Well, first, I had surgery two years ago on my shin,” Reese said during the Greenville Regional press conference. “I have a rod in my leg. Many people don't know that. But I cover my scar, for one, and then the two players that I admire, Te'a Cooper and A'ja Wilson, they wear it, too, so it's swag, but it's also I've got to cover my scar.”

 

Reese has developed into one of the best players in the country as evidenced by being fifth in the nation in scoring (23.2 points per game) and second nationally in rebounding (15.7). 

 

She has benefited from playing under legendary coach Kim Mulkey, who has challenged her during the season to raise her game. Yet, Mulkey has enjoyed watching Reese respond and be a force.

 

“She's, in my eyes, growing and understanding the game,” Mulkey said. “Let's talk about the defensive end, getting in a stance, staying in a stance, don't rely on your talent to make up for things. Imagine how good you can be if you do things before, they happen. She is a person that I would put on anybody on the opposing team. I haven't had many post players -- I'd have to think long and hard -- that I would say could guard any position on the floor. I wouldn't have any problem putting Angel on a point guard or any player on the floor. 

 

“But she just gets better and better. The double-doubles, we see a lot of that, and it's great, and it's phenomenal. But Angel has improved on the little things, from practice habits to jumping just a bit higher to finishing and getting her field goal percentage higher. Free throws -- when the season started, she wasn't making her free throws, and she looked at me and said, I will make them when they count, and I will make them when we get to SEC play, and she has.”

 

The most significant victory occurs away from the court for Reese, who enthusiastically embraces her status as a role model and one of the faces of college women's basketball. 

 

“We're just more than an athlete,” Reese said. “I was just talking to Carolyn Peck about being a Black woman and having an impact on all communities, White, Black, Mexican. It doesn't matter who, old or young, I've made an impact, and we've all impacted different kinds of people. 

 

“Positively embracing that, I've helped to grow women's basketball within the last six months, and being able to do that, I've grown my platform on and off the court. I'm more than an athlete; just being able to embrace thatBy ROB KNOX (@knoxrob1)

 

Faith and hard work fueled Angel Reese's sterling season. 

 

“I pray before every game,” said Reese, a sophomore forward for the LSU women’s basketball team. “So that's my time to get my prayer together by myself. I pray in the morning when I wake up. I pray -- I read my demotion every morning, then I pray with Auntie Chanté on staff, then I pray by myself, and then I get one more going up before the game. 

 

“This year has been something that I've been a lot closer to God, and I think that's why I'm here right now in this position. A year ago -- it's crazy how my life changed in a year. I was back home by this time. So just being able to be in this moment, like (LSU teammate) Alexis (Morris) said, God did.”

 

That moment is in the 2023 NCAA Women's Final Four in Dallas.

 

It's always a great day when one of the elite players of any sport gets an opportunity to perform on the national stage.

 

With an astounding 32 double-doubles in 34 games, Reese leads LSU into Friday's star-studded Final Four against top-seed Virginia Tech at 7 p.m. The nightcap features No. 1 ranked, undefeated, and reigning national champion South Carolina against No. 2 seed Iowa and guard Caitlin Clark in one of the most anticipated women's basketball matchups ever. 

 

Both games will be televised live by ESPN.

 

“I knew we had the talent for sure,” Reese said after LSU beat Miami in the regional Final. “I didn't know how we would piece it together, and that was our theme for the year, piecing it together. I don't know what game I saw. I knew a couple of games got chippy, and we had each other's back, and we were going at it. Because Coach is intense, and she's going to have our back through everything. 

 

“And then seeing each other, ride for each other through everything, through thick and thin, that has been a point in the season where this is the closest, I've ever been to teammates. Hanging out with them outside of basketball and just doing so much, loving them like these are my real sisters.”

 

Nicknamed the "Bayou Barbie," Reese storms the court with a disposition to dominate while performing with grit and grace. Reese is a menacing defensive presence. Sometimes her on-court demeanor has been unfairly criticized by bleacher critics. 

 

Reese doesn't care because she's a competitor with a genuine love for the game. 

 

She has her family and teammates. That's all that matters. 

 

“I think you just have to take the good with the bad,” Reese said. “I love all the positive things that I've gotten all year and being able to grow women's basketball, of course. I don't think I would be able to do this anywhere else other than LSU. Just being able to be here in this moment and embracing it. But of course, the negative; I don't listen to much of the negative. My coaches and teammates have my back when it comes down to many negative things. Having such an amazing support system behind me through everything is just something that's always been important.”

 

Yet, what people rarely see behind the scenes is the additional time that Reese takes out of her schedule to snap selfies with fans, sign autographs, and become the face of the LSU basketball team. The Maryland transfer -- who writes with her right hand and shoots with her left hand -- also has a unique style of wearing one leg sleeve and her shorts rolled up, born from the adversity she endured during her freshman year. 

 

“Well, first, I had surgery two years ago on my shin,” Reese said during the Greenville Regional press conference. “I have a rod in my leg. Many people don't know that. But I cover my scar, for one, and then the two players that I admire, Te'a Cooper and A'ja Wilson, they wear it, too, so it's swag, but it's also I've got to cover my scar.”

 

Reese has developed into one of the best players in the country as evidenced by being fifth in the nation in scoring (23.2 points per game) and second nationally in rebounding (15.7). 

 

She has benefited from playing under legendary coach Kim Mulkey, who has challenged her during the season to raise her game. Yet, Mulkey has enjoyed watching Reese respond and be a force.

 

“She's, in my eyes, growing and understanding the game,” Mulkey said. “Let's talk about the defensive end, getting in a stance, staying in a stance, don't rely on your talent to make up for things. Imagine how good you can be if you do things before, they happen. She is a person that I would put on anybody on the opposing team. I haven't had many post players -- I'd have to think long and hard -- that I would say could guard any position on the floor. I wouldn't have any problem putting Angel on a point guard or any player on the floor. 

 

“But she just gets better and better. The double-doubles, we see a lot of that, and it's great, and it's phenomenal. But Angel has improved on the little things, from practice habits to jumping just a bit higher to finishing and getting her field goal percentage higher. Free throws -- when the season started, she wasn't making her free throws, and she looked at me and said, I will make them when they count, and I will make them when we get to SEC play, and she has.”

 

The most significant victory occurs away from the court for Reese, who enthusiastically embraces her status as a role model and one of the faces of college women's basketball. 

 

“We're just more than an athlete,” Reese said. “I was just talking to Carolyn Peck about being a Black woman and having an impact on all communities, White, Black, Mexican. It doesn't matter who, old or young, I've made an impact, and we've all impacted different kinds of people. 

 

“Positively embracing that, I've helped to grow women's basketball within the last six months, and being able to do that, I've grown my platform on and off the court. I'm more than an athlete; just being able to embrace that and having people respect women's basketball, I love it. So, for the little girls that are looking up to me, just for giving them the inspiration to know they can do this also means a lot to me.”

Peace & blessings,

ROB KNOX

Senior Director of Strategic Communications, Thurgood Marshall College Fund

2023 CSC Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer Award Winner

2022 NCAA Champion of Diversity Award Winner

CoSIDA Past President

CoSIDA Rising Star Award Winner

Lincoln University (Pa) Athletics Hall of Famer

2016 NCAA Leadership Institute graduate

Member, Lisa Leslie Award Committeeand   people respect women's basketball, I love it. So, for the little girls that are looking up to me, just for giving them the inspiration to know they can do this also means a lot to me.”

Peace & blessings, for giving them the inspiration to know they can do this also means a lot to me.”

Peace & blessings,ing in a stance, staying in a stance, don't rely on your talent to make up for things. Imagine how good you can be if you do things before, they happen. She is a person that I would put on anybody on the opposing team. I haven't had many post players -- I'd have to think long and hard -- that I would say could guard any position on the floor. I wouldn't have any problem putting Angel on a point guard or any player on the floor. 

 

“But she just gets better and better. The double-doubles, we see a lot of that, and it's great, and it's phenomenal. But Angel has improved on the little things, from practice habits to jumping just a bit higher to finishing and getting her field goal percentage higher. Free throws -- when the season started, she wasn't making her free throws, and she looked at me and said, I will make them when they count, and IBy ROB KNOX (@knoxrob1)

 

Faith and hard work fueled Angel Reese's sterling season. 

 

“I pray before every game,” said Reese, a sophomore forward for the LSU women’s basketball team. “So that's my time to get my prayer together by myself. I pray in the morning when I wake up. I pray -- I read my demotion every morning, then I pray with Auntie Chanté on staff, then I pray by myself, and then I get one more going up before the game. 

 

“This year has been something that I've been a lot closer to God, and I think that's why I'm here right now in this position. A year ago -- it's crazy how my life changed in a year. I was back home by this time. So just being able to be in this moment, like (LSU teammate) Alexis (Morris) said, God did.”

 

That moment is in the 2023 NCAA Women's Final Four in Dallas.

 

It's always a great day when one of the elite players of any sport gets an opportunity to perform on the national stage.

 

With an astounding 32 double-doubles in 34 games, Reese leads LSU into Friday's star-studded Final Four against top-seed Virginia Tech at 7 p.m. The nightcap features No. 1 ranked, undefeated, and reigning national champion South Carolina against No. 2 seed Iowa and guard Caitlin Clark in one of the most anticipated women's basketball matchups ever. 

 

Both games will be televised live by ESPN.

 

“I knew we had the talent for sure,” Reese said after LSU beat Miami in the regional Final. “I didn't know how we would piece it together, and that was our theme for the year, piecing it together. I don't know what game I saw. I knew a couple of games got chippy, and we had each other's back, and we were going at it. Because Coach is intense, and she's going to have our back through everything. 

 

“And then seeing each other, ride for each other through everything, through thick and thin, that has been a point in the season where this is the closest, I've ever been to teammates. Hanging out with them outside of basketball and just doing so much, loving them like these are my real sisters.”

 

Nicknamed the "Bayou Barbie," Reese storms the court with a disposition to dominate while performing with grit and grace. Reese is a menacing defensive presence. Sometimes her on-court demeanor has been unfairly criticized by bleacher critics. 

 

Reese doesn't care because she's a competitor with a genuine love for the game. 

 

She has her family and teammates. That's all that matters. 

 

“I think you just have to take the good with the bad,” Reese said. “I love all the positive things that I've gotten all year and being able to grow women's basketball, of course. I don't think I would be able to do this anywhere else other than LSU. Just being able to be here in this moment and embracing it. But of course, the negative; I don't listen to much of the negative. My coaches and teammates have my back when it comes down to many negative things. Having such an amazing support system behind me through everything is just something that's always been important.”

 

Yet, what people rarely see behind the scenes is the additional time that Reese takes out of her schedule to snap selfies with fans, sign autographs, and become the face of the LSU basketball team. The Maryland transfer -- who writes with her right hand and shoots with her left hand -- also has a unique style of wearing one leg sleeve and her shorts rolled up, born from the adversity she endured during her freshman year. 

 

“Well, first, I had surgery two years ago on my shin,” Reese said during the Greenville Regional press conference. “I have a rod in my leg. Many people don't know that. But I cover my scar, for one, and then the two players that I admire, Te'a Cooper and A'ja Wilson, they wear it, too, so it's swag, but it's also I've got to cover my scar.”

 

Reese has developed into one of the best players in the country as evidenced by being fifth in the nation in scoring (23.2 points per game) and second nationally in rebounding (15.7). 

 

She has benefited from playing under legendary coach Kim Mulkey, who has challenged her during the season to raise her game. Yet, Mulkey has enjoyed watching Reese respond and be a force.

 

“She's, in my eyes, growing and understanding the game,” Mulkey said. “Let's talk about the defensive end, getting in a stance, staying in a stance, don't rely on your talent to make up for things. Imagine how good you can be if you do things before, they happen. She is a person that I would put on anybody on the opposing team. I haven't had many post players -- I'd have to think long and hard -- that I would say could guard any position on the floor. I wouldn't have any problem putting Angel on a point guard or any player on the floor. 

 

“But she just gets better and better. The double-doubles, we see a lot of that, and it's great, and it's phenomenal. But Angel has improved on the little things, from practice habits to jumping just a bit higher to finishing and getting her field goal percentage higher. Free throws -- when the season started, she wasn't making her free throws, and she looked at me and said, I will make them when they count, and I will make them when we get to SEC play, and she has.”

 

The most significant victory occurs away from the court for Reese, who enthusiastically embraces her status as a role model and one of the faces of college women's basketball. 

 

“We're just more than an athlete,” Reese said. “I was just talking to Carolyn Peck about being a Black woman and having an impact on all communities, White, Black, Mexican. It doesn't matter who, old or young, I've made an impact, and we've all impacted different kinds of people. 

 

“Positively embracing that, I've helped to grow women's basketball within the last six months, and being able to do that, I've grown my platform on and off the court. I'm more than an athlete; just being able to embrace that and having people respect women's basketball, I love it. So, for the little girls that are looking up to me, just for giving them the inspiration to know they can do this also means a lot to me.”

Peace & blessings,

ROB KNOX

Senior Director of Strategic Communications, Thurgood Marshall College Fund

2023 CSC Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer Award Winner

2022 NCAA Champion of Diversity Award Winner

CoSIDA Past President

CoSIDA Rising Star Award Winner

Lincoln University (Pa) Athletics Hall of Famer

2016 NCAA Leadership Institute graduate

Member, Lisa Leslie Award Committeewill make them when we get to SEC play, and she has.”

 

The most significant victory occurs away from the court for Reese, who enthusiastically embraces her status as a role model and one of the faces of college women's basketball. 

 

“We're just more than an athlete,” Reese said. “I was just talking to Carolyn Peck about being a Black woman and having an impact on all communities, White, Black, Mexican. It doesn't matter who, old or young, I've made an impact, and we've all impacted different kinds of people. 

 

“Positively embracing that, I've helped to grow women's basketball within the last six months, and being able to do that, I've grown my platform on and off the court. I'm more than an athlete; just being able to embrace that and having people respect women's basketball, I love it. So, for the little girls that are looking up to me, just for giving them the inspiration to know they can do this also means a lot to me.”

Peace & blessings,