Angel Reese announces future plans for basketball career
Angel Reese has played her final game at LSU.
Reese announced her intentions to enter the WNBA Draft on Wednesday afternoon. Reese spent 4 years in college basketball, including 2 at LSU, but was eligible to return for the 2024-25 season.
Instead, she will begin her pro career this summer. Here’s Reese’s announcement:
Grateful for these last four years and excited for this next chapter. #BAYOUBARBIEOUT pic.twitter.com/EvkzUW08JV
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) April 3, 2024
Reese became one of college basketball’s biggest personalties during her time with the Tigers. But more importantly for her WNBA future, Reese was one of the sport’s best players on the court as well.
She was the leading scorer on LSU’s 2023 national championship team and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player for her efforts.
Reese returned for her senior season and led the Tigers to an Elite Eight appearance before ultimately falling to Caitlin Clark and Iowa. Reese led LSU to a first-half lead with her elite rebounding ability and defensive prowess, but appeared to suffer an ankle injury before the break. Reese was able to return, but struggled from the field in the second half. She finished what turned out to be her final collegiate game with 17 points, 20 rebounds and 4 assists.
In ESPN’s latest WNBA mock draft, Reese was projected as the No. 7 overall pick to the Minnesota Lynx. Here’s some analysis from ESPN’s Michael Voepel:
The Lynx don’t have an obvious hole on their roster, so it’s likely they will look for the best player available. There have been many questions about how Reese’s game will translate at the pro level, but the Lynx could find value in her rebounding and defensive talents.
Reese also spoke about her next step with Vogue Magazine as part of her announcement. Reese acknowledged how difficult it may be for her to secure one of the WNBA’s 144 roster spots.
“I’ll be working with grown women,” Reese told Vogue. “I’ll be working with women that have kids, women that have a family to feed. I’m going to have to work my butt off every single day and grind. And who wouldn’t want that? I don’t want anything in my life to be easy.”
Even without Reese, LSU will likely be projected to be one of the top teams in the SEC next season. Head coach Kim Mulkey has led the Tigers to a 41-7 record in SEC play in her 3 seasons with the program. Mulkey and her staff will now be tasked with replacing Reese’s production either via the transfer portal or with existing talent on the roster.
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Good luck!
Will wait with baited breath for her to acknowledge her success is because she was born in America.
That will never happen. Kim needs to be gone too. She didn’t know when the National Anthem was being played? I’m calling bs on that.
Dislike because of jealousy.
Good luck and Godspeed
I gather part of this is because she isn’t much of a student. I don’t think she is dumb, but she doesn’t seem to care about academics other than staying eligible. She at least did that.
Or wink, wink, she didn’t get caught cheating.
Congrats to Angel on an amazing career! Her 2 years in BR resulted in 2 title runs were she brought home the schools first national title followed by another deep run where they just ran into one of the best women’s players ever! I am very grateful she came and enjoyed watching her compete.
It’s crazy she was so successful playing in the paint as a 6’3” forward going toe to toe with big centers at 6’8” who probably had 40 – 50lbs on her. Set records for most double-doubles! She dominated every match up down low including twice vs the USC bigs, the VT top 10 player and others.
I think she will be just fine in WNBA because she won’t be out of position. She’ll be going against other forwards and I think she’ll hold her own. I was hoping she’d come back for 1 more run but best of luck to her going forward.
She’s talented and has God given physical assets. Her key to success will be to figure out how to be marketable to the casual fan. The fact that she chose that picture pointing to her finger is exactly the reason that she’s had difficulty. Not that she’s competitive, but she can be a distraction and truly unlikable. Clark may be just as much of a talker on the court, but she has figured out how to present herself in interviews and within public perception. Fair or unfair, that’s where endorsements of any meaning will come from.
Good riddance Prima Dona.