LSU women’s basketball star Angel Reese isn’t letting money influence her decision to potentially declare for the 2024 WNBA draft.
“For me, I’ve honestly learned that regardless I’m going to be able to make money staying or going,” Reese told reporters on Thursday.
“Understanding that my brand has been built, where I know that more than being in college is something I can do.”
“Regardless, I’m going to be able to make money.”<br><br>Angel Reese says her brand deals will follow her to the WNBA if she decides to go pro at the end of the season <a href=”https://twitter.com/Reese10Angel?
Although she’s currently a senior, she still has an extra year of eligibility remaining due to the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season.
She’s teased the possibility of returning to the Tigers before, specifically hinting that she may choose to stay with the program in a post on X ahead of senior day on March 3.
“Should I stay, should I go? I don’t know” <a href=”https://t.co/1zSvq9yr4V”>https://t.co/1zSvq9yr4V</a>
Reese’s dominance during LSU’s title-winning tournament run in 2023 made her one of the most recognizable faces in the sport. According to the latest NIL evaluations from On3.com, she ranks No. 8 among all college athletes with a valuation of $1.8 million.
She also ranks No. 2 among women’s basketball players behind Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, the sport’s all-time leading scorer.
“The deals are going to follow me if I leave or stay,” Reese added on Thursday. “I’ve built that relationship with a lot of these brands. I don’t just have brands that are in college, I have brands that are long-term deals that are just past college and I think that’s the difference.”
If the 2023 Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament ultimately chooses to declare for the draft, her legacy at LSU is a success regardless of the team’s outcome in the 2024 tournament.
In 29 starts during her 2023-24 campaign, Reese averaged 19.0 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 49.1 percent from the field. Now, she’ll help the Tigers as they look to emerge from a first-round matchup with Rice on Friday.
IOWA STAR CAITLIN CLARK TARGETED BY WEST VIRGINIA COACH WITH A BOLD SPEECH
Fans could not believe the audacity.
As Caitlin Clark’s stardom grows, so does the target drawn on her number 22 Iowa Hawkeyes jersey. As her final NCAA Tournament approaches, that target is bigger than ever.
Just moments after the official March Madness brackets were revealed, Mark Kellogg, coach of Iowa’s potential second-round opponent West Virginia, wasted no time before taking aim at the NCAA all-time leading scorer. He was asking for trouble when he called Clark out by name in this bold speech.
“I already told them,” he said to the crowd gathered at West Virginia to watch the bracket reveal, “let’s win one and then let’s send Caitlin Clark packing.”
Iowa has a difficult road to the Final Four
The Albany region of the women’s NCAA Tournament bracket is absolutely loaded, but West Virginia probably was not the first team Clark noticed in their quadrant until Kellogg’s fighting words hit social media.
The Hawkeyes (No. 1 seed) are joined by No. 2 seed UCLA, and got arguably the best No. 3 seed, LSU in their region. Ever since last year’s NCAA Championship game ended in drama between Clark and LSU’s Angel Reese, college basketball fans have eagerly awaited a rematch. If they meet this year, it will be in the Elite 8, with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
Lisa Bluder’s team also can’t overlook No. 4 seed Kansas State, a team that has beat them in November. They would face off in the Sweet 16 if both teams advance.
Social media thinks Clark will make WVU coach eat his words
Clark’s last dance begins by hosting the first two games in Iowa City. The bulletin board material provided by West Virginia’s coach adds to the intrigue of what would be Clark’s final game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Only one problem: the No. 8 seed Mountaineers need to win a tough first-round game against No. 9 Princeton first.
“He’s a genius, providing motivation for Princeton AND Iowa at the same time,” joked one reply to the video on Twitter/X.
“Woof. You asked for it,” one fan said in disbelief.
“This was a bad idea. Clark might go for 50 against these guys,” said another.