Tearful Angel Reese was consoled by Hailey Van Lith after Caitlin Clark defeat

Angel Reese has established herself as one of the WNBA’s top stars, but she faced heartbreak on her journey to the pro league.

Last year, she was part of an LSU team that had dreams of capturing a second-straight national championship in the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Reese did her bit, finishing with a 17-point, 20-rebound double-double, before fouling out of the game with 1:45 left.

The 22-year-old, who has faced intense media scrutiny since winning the national title in 2023 and going on to the WNBA, continues to divide fans with her uncompromising persona both on and off the court.

But after suffering heartbreak with LSU 12 months ago, Reese proved she still had the support of her college teammates, with Flau’Jae Johnson and Hailey Van Lith passionately speaking out in her defence after the Iowa defeat.

“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,” Johnson said at the time.

As she spoke at the post-game press conference, a visibly emotional Reese – who was sitting next to her – could be seen wiping tears away.

“I know the real Angel Reese and the person I see every day is a strong person,” Johnson went on.

“A caring, loving person. The crown she wears is heavy. She’s the type of teammate that’s going to make you believe in yourself.

“The leap that I took from my freshman to my sophomore year, Angel gave me that confidence to go be a dog. Playing next to a dog every day.

“Just to see how the media ridicules her, this is my sister here and I’m so proud of her. How they like to twist it and call her the villain, y’all don’t know Angel… She just makes me a better player, and that’s what great players do.”

Van Lith echoed Johnson’s words and fiercely defended Reese.

“Angel’s one of the toughest people I’ve been around,” she said.

“People speak hate into her life, I’ve never seen people wish bad things on someone as much as her. And it does not affect her. She comes to practice every day, she lives her life every day, she lives how she wants to live.

“And she don’t let nobody change that. And that’s the key to life right there.”

Reese also spoke out at the time, claiming she had received death threats since gaining national recognition.

“I’ve been attacked so many times, death threats, I’ve been sexualized, I’ve been threatened, I’ve been so many things, and I’ve stood strong every single time,” she said.

“I just try to stand strong for my teammates because I don’t want them to see me down and not be there for them. All this has happened since I won the national championship. It sucks, but I still wouldn’t change.

“The little girls that look up to me, hopefully I give them some type of inspiration — keep waking up every day, keep being motivated, staying who you are, stand 10 toes, don’t back down, and just be confident.”

Reese had a big decision to make after that March Madness disappointment. Return to LSU for a fifth season, or declare for the 2024 WNBA Draft.
She ultimately chose the latter and was selected number seven by the Chicago Sky on draft night.

In her first WNBA season, Reese impressed with her efforts on the court.
She was selected to play in the WNBA All-Star Game, and also picked up the league’s Rookie of the Month award last June.

Reese finished her debut year averaging 13.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game, but it was one cut short by an injury she suffered in September during a game against the Los Angeles Sparks.

The Sky star was also beaten to the Rookie of the Year award by Clark, but will expect to kick on in 2025 as one of the WNBA’s most-watched players.

Van Lith and Johnson, meanwhile, are hoping to go further in this year’s NCAA Tournament than last year.

Johnson’s LSU face the No. 1 seeded UCLA Bruins in their Elite Eight match-up on Sunday, looking to reach the Final Four.

Van Lith’s TCU Horned Frogs, meanwhile, will face Texas in the Elite Eight after a win over Notre Dame in the Sweet 16.