Angel Reese: 5 Things to Know About LSU Women’s Basketball Star After March Madness Win

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After calling Dr. Jill Biden’s invite to celebrate two teams at the White House a ‘JOKE’, Tiger’s captain Angel Reese changed her tune. Here’s the scoop on camp Angel Reese.

  • Angel Reese (b. May 6, 2002) is an American basketball player.
  • She helped the LSU Tigers win the NCAA championship in 2023.
  • Angel came under fire after doing the “You Can’t See Me” taunt to Iowa’s Caitlin Clark.
  • She also called First Lady Dr. Jill Biden’s suggestion of inviting both teams to the White House ‘A JOKE.’

Angel Reese said she’s going to do what’s best for her team and celebrate the Tiger’s 2023 NCAA Championship win at the White House, despite her previous snub of Dr. Jill Biden‘s invite. The star athlete appeared on ESPN’s SportsCenter on April 7 and said she is putting her feelings aside after Biden suggested both LSU and the losing team, Iowa, be invited to 16o0 Pennsylvania Ave, which broke with tradition and had Angel calling it a “joke.”

“In the beginning we were hurt — it was emotional because we know how hard we worked all year for everything,” Angel explained on SportsCenter . “You don’t get that experience [to go to the White House] ever, and I know my team probably wants to go for sure and my coaches are supportive of that, so I’m going to do what’s best for the team and we’ve decided we’re going to go.”

The drama may have started with a single wave of the hand following the finale of the 2023 Women’s March Madness tournament. Late in the game, Angel waved her hand in her face towards Iowa’s Caitlin Clarke, a recreation of the “You Can’t See Me” hand gesture made famous by WWE Superstar John Cena. Later, she motioned to her ring finger, indicating the national championship ring she was about to receive.

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A whole lot of discourse happened, with many people calling the move “classless.” Others pointed out that Caitlin, 21, made the same exact gesture during the tournament and engaged in trash talk. Following the win, Reese even pointed out that Clarke waved off South Carolina freshman guard Raven Johnson during the Final Four showdown. “I don’t take disrespect lightly,” said Reese. “They’re still my SEC girls.”

“Caitlin Clark is a hell of a player, for sure. But … I was in my bag. I was in my moment,” Reese added in the post-game presser. Clark said she was unaware of anything negative about Reese or LSU. “I was just trying to get to the handshake line and shake hands and be grateful that my team was in that position,” Clark said, per ESPN. “All the credit in the world to LSU. They were tremendous. They deserve it. They had a tremendous season.”

(Jonathan Mailhes/CSM/Shutterstock)

With all that said, here’s a look at Angel Reese.

Angel Reese Is a Basketball Player

Born in Maryland, Angel C. Reese attended St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, averaging 18.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in her senior year. She was considered a five-star recruit in the 2020 class by ESPN. She initially committed to the University of Maryland, but in 2022, she transferred to LSU.

Her high profile as the “Bayou Barbie” has earned her several name, image and likeness (NIL) deals. As she’s proven both online and in the wake of the 2023 Championship game, she’s also not afraid to stand up to those who would dim her shine.

“All year, I was critiqued about who I was,” she said in the post-championship press conference. “I don’t fit the narrative. I don’t fit in the box that you all want me to be in. I’m too hood, I’m too ghetto. You told me that all year. But when other people do it, y’all don’t say nothing. So this is for the girls that look like me, that want to speak up on what they believe in. It’s unapologetically you. It was bigger than me tonight. I’m happy. I felt I helped grow women’s basketball.”

“I feel like I’ve helped grow women’s basketball this year. I’m super happy and excited,” Reese added, per ESPN. “I don’t care about anybody else and what they have to say about me. I don’t care to be All-American. I don’t care to be defensive player of the year, player of the year. The biggest goal is to be a national champion, and that’s what I did. That’s what I can just brag on. Twitter can say what Twitter can say. I love reading those comments. I have all the screenshots of what everybody has said about me all season. What are you going to say now?”

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“I want to take on that role of being the Black woman that’s going to stand up for the girls that may not have a voice,” she said when appearing on NBA on ESPN. “I don’t care what anybody has to say about me. I love who I am. … I’m authentically me.”

She Wasn’t Fond Of FLOTUS Dr. Jill Biden’s Idea.

Dr. Jill Biden, the First Lady of the United States, was at the championship game. When speaking at an event at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver, Dr. Biden commented on possibly inviting both the LSU Tigers and the Iowa Hawkeyes to the White House.

“So I know we’ll have the champions come to the White House, we always do,” she said, per CNN. “So, we hope LSU will come, but, you know, I’m going to tell Joe [Biden] I think Iowa should come, too, because they played such a good game.”

https://twitter.com/Reese10Angel/status/1643024890813874179

“A JOKE,” tweeted Reese, along with laughing emojis. Press Secretary to the first lady Vanessa Valdivia later clarified that Dr. Biden’s comments “were intended to applaud the historic game and all women athletes. She looks forward to celebrating the LSU Tigers on their championship win at the White House.”

On April 4, Jill’s press secretary, Vanessa Valdivia, attempted to explain why Jill felt it was best to invite both teams when only the winner is historically extended an invite to the White House. “The First Lady loved watching the NCAA women’s basketball championship game alongside young student athletes and admires how far women have advanced in sports since the passing of Title IX,” she tweeted. “Her comments in Colorado were intended to applaud the historic game and all women athletes. She looks forward to celebrating the LSU Tigers on their championship win at the White House.”

However, the apology was not well-received by Angel. “I don’t accept that — I’m not going to lie to you, I don’t accept that apology because she said what she said,” the NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player recipient slammed. “You can’t go back on certain things that you say.” She even said she would rather hang out with Michelle and Barack Obama.

Further driving in her point, she added, “I just know if the roles were reversed, it wouldn’t be the same. If we were to lose, we would not be getting invited to the White House. I remember she made a comment that both teams should be invited because it was about sportsmanship. … Stuff like that, it bothers me.”

“Because you are a woman, at the end of the day,” she explained. “White, black, it doesn’t matter, you’re supposed to be standing behind us before anything, so it’s hard to see things like that and not to comment on it. But at the same time, I have the platform right now where I can speak out and a lot of people have had my back through it. I’m proud to be in a situation like this.”

Who Is Angel Reese’s Brother?

Angel Reese’s brother is Julian Reese. In 2023, he was a sophomore, playing basketball for the University of Maryland. The 6’9″ forward has averaged 11.4 points per game in the 2022-23 season, along with 7.2 rebounds and 1 assist. Sadly, Maryland was eliminated from the Men’s March Madness tournament when they lost 51-73 to Alabama.

(Jonathan Mailhes/CSM/Shutterstock)

Are Jordan Hawkins and Angel Reese related?

Baltimore will have one hell of a party, as the city will welcome two champions: Angel Reese and her cousin, Jordan Hawkins.

Jordan Hawkins got a taste of what Angel Reese was enjoying when he and the rest of the UConn Huskies defeated San Diego State University in the NCAA men’s college championship game on Apr. 3. “This is for all the kids from Gaithersburg, Maryland, that didn’t think they could do it. I did it. Now you can do it, man,” Hawkins said after the win, per CNN. “Me and Angel paved the way. We did it.”

“I wished her luck. I’m going to see her in Maryland soon. The cookout gonna be lit.”

He added, “It’s absolutely amazing, showing that kids that were our age at the time, we were dreaming about the same thing and we saw that it’s possible. We saw that as amazing … that we both get this opportunity, and I mean the family reunion is going to be great, so that’s all I know.”

Is She Dating Anyone?

In late March, Angel had to squash some rumors that she was involved with rapper Never Broke Again YoungBoy. After a gossip site said he was dating Angel, she tweeted, “I’m not this man’s GF. Please stop.”

She also retweeted some lighthearted trolling from her teammate,  freshman phenom Flau’jae Johnson. “You know I’m jamming to that Youngboy,” Johnson said in the clip, which showed the Tigers walking into the locker room, per the New York Post. Angel responded, “Wow @Flaujae,” Reese wrote, adding a series of crying-laughing emojis. “I got sum for you since you wanna play.”

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