Teary Angel Reese Had Powerful Message for Young Fans After LSU’s Loss to Iowa

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Monday was a tough night for Angel Reese and the LSU Tigers, who were defeated by the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight, ending their bid for a repeat championship in the women’s NCAA tournament. But the ensuing postgame press conference may have been just as emotional for Reese, who watched as two LSU teammates, Flau’jae Johnson and Hailey Van Lith, vehemently defended her as a teammate and friend when asked about the quality of her leadership.

Then, an emotional Reese became teary-eyed when a reporter implored her to “stand up for herself” and describe the journey that many fans don’t get to witness. Reese, who became a household name during the Tigers’ title run last year, said that she’s “received death threats” and has been “sexualized.” She then took a moment to send a powerful message to her young fans.

“Hopefully the little girls that look up to me, hopefully I give them some type of inspiration that hopefully it’s not this hard and all the things that come at you. But keep being who you are. Keep waking up everyday. Keep being motivated, staying who you are, staying ten toes, don’t back down. And just be confident,” Reese said through tears.

Reese, who played through an ankle injury during Monday’s loss, received a ton of attention—both negative and positive—for her now-infamous trash talk of Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark during last year’s title game.

But it’s clear that Reese, a projected top pick in the WNBA draft, is holding her head high through the negativity.