Angel Reese walked down the purple carpet alongside her family and Shaquille O’Neal for Senior Day on Sunday. The group then met Kim Mulkey at center court where they posed for a picture.
The Pete Maravich Assembly Center crowd was in an uproar shortly after, chanting “One more year,” hoping for Reese to stay in an LSU uniform for another season.
From her “Bayou Barbie” nickname, to the crown placed on her head after she’s announced in the starting lineup at home games, she’s captured the attention of LSU fans. Senior Day was a representation of that.
“It’s been a long four years. It’s been crazy,” Reese said. “Being able to extend my career and have a great time here, it’s been crazy and amazing.”
Reese arrived at LSU from the University of Maryland for the start of the 2022-23 season. In her two seasons at Maryland, she averaged 13.9 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game. She led the Terrapins to a Sweet 16 in her second season, at the end of which she was named an All-American and all-conference player.
MORE BASKETBALL: LSU men’s basketball guard Jalen Cook suspended from program
Reese was used to seeing her name in the record books before LSU, as she became the first Maryland sophomore to average a double-double since 1975.
After the 2021-’22 season, Reese hit the transfer portal, and she quickly became the top player available. She was recruited by top programs like South Carolina and Tennessee, but she landed at LSU, choosing to play for Kim Mulkey.
Reese came to LSU with high expectations. LSU fans hoped the team would make it past the Round of 32, showing the progress of the program. But she exceeded them, so much so that she finished her first season at LSU with a national championship trophy in her hands.
Reese etched her name into campus history books in her first season at LSU.
She recorded a double-double in all but two games, and she led the Southeastern Conference in both scoring and rebounding, becoming the fifth player to lead the conference in both categories.
She set an NCAA record with 34 double-doubles, and she broke the school record for most consecutive double-doubles. The record was previously held by Sylvia Fowles, who went on to have a 15-year career in the WNBA.
Reese’s career exploded on the court, but it exploded off the court as well. She arrived at LSU with about 70,000 Instagram followers. Following the team’s National Championship season, including a record-breaking viewing audience for a collegiate women’s basketball game of 9.9 million people, her following grew to over a million people.
“Times are different now. What we are witnessing with these fans not just in the PMAC, but on the road, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Mulkey said. “And this isn’t my first rodeo. I won three championships at Baylor. I’ve had a 40-0 team. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
READ MORE: LSU bumped up to a No. 3 seed in women’s basketball NCAA Tournament Bracketology
Reese became a public spectacle following the national championship. Between waving her hand to her face towards Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, to pointing to her ring finger, where her championship ring would soon be placed, Reese became a polarizing figure in the college basketball world.
Some criticized Reese for her antics during the game, but LSU fans continued to embrace the growing superstar.
Reese was copying a gesture done by Clark in Iowa’s win over Louisville, but the national spotlight shined bright on Reese following the national championship.
With the increased attention, her following and brand grew tremendously.
With laws approving Name, Image and Likeness deals for college athletes, Reese’s following became a big deal. Her offseason following the national championship reflected the changes social media brought to her life.
After winning a title, Reese signed an NIL deal with Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge, which landed her a new car. She appeared in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit edition and an Amazon commercial alongside Flau’jae Johnson. She even inked a multi-year contract with Reebok.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg for the changes Reese saw to her life following the season. According to On3, Reese has an NIL valuation of $1.7 million, the eighth-highest valuation in all of college athletics.
As her second season at LSU got closer, the Tigers landed two of the top transfers in the country in Louisville guard Hailey Van Lith, and DePaul forward Aneesah Morrow.
With these two newcomers, a No. 1 ranked freshman class and returners in Reese, Johnson and Sa’Myah Smith, the expectation of repeating a national championship season was not just an expectation, but practically a standard.
Despite losing the season opener to Colorado, Reese’s season was off to a smooth start before she missed four games following the team’s win over Kent State. Once again, Reese was a prominent name in the media.
READ MORE: What Does Hailey Van Lith’s breakout game mean for her and LSU women’s hoops?
The reason for Reese’s absence is uncertain, as Mulkey said it was an “internal team matter that was unnecessary to publicize.” The uncertainty brought speculation toward Reese, but since the National Championship, Reese has become accustomed to criticism.
“I want people to realize that I’m not just an athlete, I’m a person, too,” Reese said. “When you’re up, everybody loves you. When you’re down, you’re going to see who really loves you.”
Reese returned to the court for the team’s top-10 matchup against Virginia Tech, where LSU won 82-64. Reese recorded 19 points along with nine rebounds.
About a month later, LSU went on the road and flew up to Baltimore, Maryland — Reese’s hometown — to take on Coppin State. Reese’s homecoming was loudly heard, as it resulted in the first sellout for a Coppin State sporting event at the Physical Education Complex Arena.
Since then, the Tigers have lost three games in SEC play, two of which came to unranked opponents on the road. Some LSU fans became discouraged, but Reese’s performance never seemed to slip. In the season so far, Reese has averaged 19.1 points per game and 13 rebounds per game, the second most rebounds in the country.
The Tigers have won their last eight games, including a win over Auburn, who beat LSU early in conference play. Reese shined brightest in that game with 25 points and 20 rebounds — arguably her best all-around game of the season.
Although she celebrated Senior Day to close out the regular season, Reese has a year of eligibility left, allowing her to return next season. However, she hasn’t made a decision on whether or not she will return to LSU or go professional. Reese is projected to be a top-10 pick in this year’s WNBA Draft.
LSU fans won’t get a decision from Reese anytime soon, or at least until LSU’s season comes to an end.
Wherever Reese plays basketball next season, her time at LSU has allowed her to succeed at a high level and learn a lot while doing it. Along the way, Reese has remained true to herself, and she’s thankful that she did.
“I hope [fans look to me] as someone who was just unapologetically herself,” Reese said. “Coming in every day being happy, work hard and doing whatever it takes to win, I feel like I made a lot of sacrifices coming here. Not really knowing what it was going to be and taking that step of faith.”
“Look how my life has changed in a year-and-a-half, it’s crazy,” she said.
Crazy and amazing are two words Reese uses to describe her time at LSU. It’s a story still being written, and fans may be able to see another chapter of Reese in Baton Rouge.
But if not, her presence in women’s college basketball has changed the game forever, as one of the pioneers who helped pave the road for others to continue to change it.
