ALBANY — Angel Reese is determined to come back and play through a sprained ankle to keep LSU’s hopes of winning back-to-back championships alive.
When he fouled out with 1:45 left in the Elite 8, Reese hugged and smiled at each of his teammates, unsure if they would ever play together again.
Immediately after the 94-87 loss to the University of Iowa, Reese wasn’t ready to announce whether his star, headline-grabbing and championship-winning run at LSU was over.
“I’m going to make a decision when I’m ready,” said Reese, who is projected to be a top-10 pick in the WNBA draft.
Caitlin Clark went 3-for-3 with a 41-point performance, while Reese dominated in the paint, finishing with 17 points, 20 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks.
However, after the injury in the second quarter, Reese’s movement was visibly affected, contributing to his 7-of-21 field goals.
“I’m tough, so I tried to get through it,” Reese said. “This has been going on for a while. But I’m done with it and I’m not going to use that excuse for the rest of the game’s play.”
Before a rematch in a national title game defined by trash talk, Reese declared he was happy to play the villain again.
But in the post-game press conference, Reese shed tears, shedding the weight of a year full of magic and malice.
“I’ve been through so much,” Reese said. “I’ve seen so much. I’ve been attacked so many times, I’ve received death threats, I’ve been sexualized, I’ve been blackmailed so many times, but each time I’ve stood strong. I’m just trying to stand strong for my teammates because I don’t want them to see me down and not be there for them.
“I’m still human. All of this has happened since I won the national championship, but I said the other day that I haven’t been happy since. It sucks, but I still wouldn’t change a thing and here I am. I would sit there and say without hesitation that I am who I am.”
She did not contest when Reese committed her fifth foul. It didn’t change anything.
The Tigers were down by 10 points.
Last year, that moment was theirs.
The night belonged to rivals who helped improve the sport.
“We knew this was going to be a night forever no matter which way it went,” Reese said. “Just being able to be a part of history is amazing.”
