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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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