There will be a new champion in the women's side of the 2024 March Madness, as Angel Reese and the LSU women's basketball had been dethroned by Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes during Monday night's Elite Eight showdown.
Emotions ran high for the Tigers following the heartbreaking loss, and it continued to the media room where Reese and her teammates fielded questions from and spoke to reporters.
During an emotional postgame press conference, Angel Reese teared up while being defended against her haters by LSU teammate Flau’Jae Johnson.
“Everybody can have their opinion on Angel Reese, but y'all don't know her. Y'all don't know Angel Reese. I know Angel Reese. I know the real Angel Reese. And the person I see every day is a strong person, is a caring, loving person,” Johnson said of Reese.
Johnson also shard how Reese helped her become the player that she's become.
“Me, that confidence to go be a dog, playing next to a dog every day, and you know just to see how the media ridiculed her, went through our problems, but like this my sister right here and I'm so proud of her… the media y'all how they like to twist and call it a villain and all of that y'all don't know Angel bro and I'm just happy that I get to play with her I get to be around her presence her energy is different. She just makes me a better player, and that's what great players do.”
Angel Reese tears up as Flau’Jae Johnson defends her from critics “Y’all don’t know Angel” pic.twitter.com/JcXDVOk5CL
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) April 2, 2024
During Reese's turn to speak up, she opened up about the challenges and hardships she continues to deal with after helping LSU win it all in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. What Reese said was an eye-opener and a sad reminder of the cruel public treatment that comes with fame and success on a national level.
“I just try to stay strong… I've been attacked so many times. Death threats, I've been sexualized, I've been threatened… I'm still human. All this has happened since I won the national championship & I haven't been happy since then,” Reese said.
"I just try to stay strong… I've been attacked so many times. Death threats, I've been sexualized, I've been threatened… I'm still human. All this has happened since I won the national championship & I haven't been happy since then."
– Angel Reesepic.twitter.com/fIvQWtefnx
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 2, 2024
Angel Reese, LSU bow out of 2024 NCAA Tournament
The end of the road for Reese and LSU in the Big Dance came to a screeching halt against the No. 1 Hawkeyes — the same program that the Tigers defeated in the national championship game a year ago. In the loss to Hawkeyes, Reese churned out a monster performance that ultimately went to waste, as Caitlin Clark and company proved to be too much to handle for the then-defending champs Tigers.
Reese managed to record 17 points and 20 rebounds plus four assists, two steals, and three blocks while shooting 7/21 from the field in 36 minutes of action versus the Hawkeyes. Johnson, meanwhile, paced LSU women's basketball with 23 points on 10/18 shooting with six rebounds, two assists, a steal, and three blocks in 37 minutes.
Even though LSU dominated the possession battle and had 19 more field goal attempts in the game than the Hawkeyes, it was the efficiency with their shots that mattered more, with Iowa draining 46.4 percent of its shots, including 13 3-pointers, while the Tigers shot just 38.6 percent. Clark was nearly unstoppable, living up to enormous hype and scoring a game-high 41 points on the strength of an incredible 9/20 shooting from behind the arc while also dishing out 12 assists and grabbing seven rebounds.
Follow Us
Subscribe