Angel Reese is not a villain. She’s a damn good basketball player who wears her emotions on her sleeve. Sometimes those emotions spill over and she gets labeled as the bad girl.
You’d want that kind of attitude on your team. If you’re an opponent? It gets rather grating.
Last week, prior to LSU’s game against Iowa in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Women’s college basketball tournament, a column in the Los Angeles Times referred to the Tigers as “basketball villains.”
Reese seemed to embrace the role.
“We’re the good villains,” she said. “I was talking to Kramer about that. Everybody wants to beat LSU. Everybody wants to be LSU. Everybody wants to play against LSU.”
Sooooo I was in the locker room interviewing players when Kim Mulkey was talking about the LA Times column, but Angel Reese did talk about embracing trying to prove people wrong about their perception of the team vs. the reality of it. pic.twitter.com/nk5MVMLfC0
— Michael Cauble (@Cauble) March 30, 2024
RELATED: LSU Players Leave Court Before National Anthem – Coach Kim Mulkey: ‘Sorry Not Intentional’
Angel Reese: ‘Still Human’
Iowa defeated LSU 94-87 to move on to the Final Four. Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark dazzled with 41 points, 12 assists, and 7 rebounds.
Angel Reese was impressive as well for the Tiger, dropping in 17 points, 4 assists, and grabbing an incredible 20 rebounds.
But a tough loss on the court can quickly change your perspective off of it. And Reese quickly went from villain role to victim during the post-game presser.
“I’ve been through so much,” she said. “I’ve seen so much. I’ve been attacked so many times. Death threats. I’ve been sexualized. I’ve been threatened. I’ve been so many things.”
“I just want them to just know that I’m still human.”
Emotional Angel Reese on being criticized, receiving death threats since winning national championship “I just want everyone to know I’m still human” pic.twitter.com/yC59tOfYx9
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) April 2, 2024
RELATED: LSU Basketball Star Angel Reese Rejects Invite To The White House
Wants It Both Ways
Angel Reese went on to suggest that all of these bad things have happened since LSU became champions.
“All this has happened since winning the national championship, and I haven’t had peace since then, and it sucks but I still wouldn’t change anything and I would still sit here and say that I’m unapologetically me, I’m going to always leave that mark and be who I am,” she explained.
“And hopefully the little girls that look up to me, I can give them some inspiration.”
I don’t have a problem with Reese’s emotions on either side of the argument. Some days you want to be the badass villain. Others, especially after a tough loss, you just want to wallow in your own victimhood.
That’s what is happening here. The problem is when you’ve been very public with your villain persona, people are going to criticize the tears.
It was just last year that Reese was taunting Clark with a ‘you can’t see me’ gesture while also pointing to her ring finger. As in, ‘Hey Caitlin, you’re not getting a championship ring.’
ANGEL REESE HIT CAITLIN CLARK WITH THE "YOU CAN'T SEE ME" 👀 pic.twitter.com/Zj3mqIzkk9
— ESPN (@espn) April 2, 2023
Just last week, Angel Reese was mocking a Middle Tennessee State player during the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament. The player had just fouled out in the third quarter.
Angel Reese waved goodbye after fouling out MTSU player 👀
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 24, 2024
Tigers advance to Sweet 16 pic.twitter.com/s2gOwWMCo1
Does any of this make her the villain? No, of course not.
But it certainly isn’t going to get her any sympathy when shes cries after her team finally loses.
