The WNBA has a connection to Bayou Barbie.
The LSU standout Angel Reese, who is well-known for her manicures, eyelash extensions, and aggressive style in the paint, officially submitted her WNBA Draft application on Wednesday. The Tigers' season ended with a defeat to Iowa and Caitlin Clark, and her announcement was made two days later.
Reese, whose professional interests also include modeling and fashion, said she was inspired by tennis legend Serena Williams' announcement of her retirement in a similar manner in 2022 when she did a picture shoot for Vogue.
Reese openly said that he might consider rejoining the Tigers till the conclusion of the LSU season. But he did acknowledge that before March Madness started, he had
decided to become a professional.
"I like to do everything big, of course," Reese said to the publication. "I didn't want anything to be basic."
Reese, who has also shown interest in playing professionally in Europe during the WNBA summer, stated, "I did everything I wanted to do in college." "I've been an All-American, the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, and the winner of a national title. My ultimate objective is to become pro and rank among the best basketball players in history. I believe I'm prepared for it.
Reese, a dynamic 6-foot-3 big with perimeter defense skills and the ability to run the floor and block shots anywhere, is projected to be selected among the top players on April 15 along with Clark, Indiana's predicted No. 1 choice. Reese is expected to be selected seventh or eighth overall by draft experts. His undeveloped outside shooting is one of the few unanswered issues about his play after graduating from college.
Reese watched an NBA game between the Orlando Magic and the New Orleans Pelicans that evening after the news.Amani Bartlett, a former LSU player who is infamous for putting a crown on Reese's head during the pregame introductions the previous season, was seated courtside with her. When Reese appeared on the arena video board, there was thunderous cheering.
Reese was born and raised in Baltimore. Her brother, Julian, is a member of the men's team at Maryland, where she started her undergraduate career. In 2022, she moved to LSU, where she played for the Tigers.
LSU head coach Kim Mulkey said, "She contributed to changing our program." "We are all grateful to Angel Reese for all the contributions they made to this program, helping us win its inaugural national championship, and for the contributions she contributed to our entire university."
In only two seasons, Reese amassed 61 double-doubles with the Tigers. At LSU, only Sylvia Fowles amassed more double-doubles.
At LSU, Reese averaged 20.9 points and 14.4 rebounds per game, including seven games in which he scored 20 points or more and pulled down 20 rebounds. Since Wendy Scholtens of Vanderbilt led the conference in scoring and rebounds in 1989 and 1990, Reese is the only player from the SEC to do it in two straight seasons.
Reese won SEC Player of the Year for this season. Reese completed four seasons of collegiate competition; however, since his career coincided with the COVID-19 epidemic, he was one among the athletes who received an extension of eligibility from the NCAA.
Mulkey said, "She stated she wanted to be here for two seasons when she came here, and she's stayed true to that." "What an incredible two years these have been.
"She has not only helped elevate our program, but certainly has also had a profound impact in growing the game of women's basketball through the country," Mulkey said. "We wish her all the best as she continues on to the WNBA and look excitedly at seeing all that she achieves."
Reece showed her true potential as a basketball player during LSU's championship run the year before. Aside from the court, she had a lively personality and was at ease interacting with spectators and the media. She would also trash talk her opponents. Playing basketball with her brother and other guys in Baltimore throughout her childhood pushed Reece to develop both her physical and mental toughness on the court.
After winning the championship, Reese said that she has been under more monitoring, but she insisted that she would always be "unapologetically" herself.
Her LSU teammates, who sometimes call her "the queen," supported her leadership and the situations she went through, such as Mulkey suspending her for four games just before Thanksgiving earlier this season, during which she took a self-described leave of absence for mental health.
Flau'Jae Johnson said, "Everyone can have their own opinion about Angel Reese, but y'all don't know her." "I see a strong, kind, and loving person every day—I know the real Angel Reese. However, she is wearing a huge crown. She is a colleague who will boost your self-confidence."
Players might lose their remaining eligibility until Monday if they did not compete in the Elite Eight. After the last game, players like Reese, who were vying for a spot in the Elite Eight or higher, had around 48 hours to decide.
Reese suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter of her last collegiate game against Iowa, but she managed to finish with 17 points and 20 rebounds before fouling out in the last two minutes of play.
Reese was one of the top NIL earners in college, valued at $1.8 million, according to com. She has marketing affiliations with Mercedes-Benz, Reebok, and Coach. Now, a lot of those agreements might develop into the type of sponsorships that earn professional sportsmen their living.
Mark Long, an AP sports writer, contributed to this article.
