Emotional Angel Reese speaks out after Iowa defeat as LSU star reveals she ‘hasn’t been happy’ since winning national title last year – and claims she’s been receiving DEATH THREATS — before shedding tears as teammate Flau’Jae Johnson slams her critics

An emotional Angel Reese cried and said she “hasn’t been happy” since winning the national championship last year, as the LSU star spoke after the Tigers Elite 8 loss to Caitlin Clark’s Iowa.

Reese, who finished the game with 17 points, also claimed she had received “death threats” and explained what has clearly been a difficult year for her.

“I don’t really stand up for myself,” she said. “I mean, I have great teammates. I have a great support system. I have my hometown. I have my family who will stand up for me. I can’t really speak out about things because I just ignore it.

“I’m just trying to stand strong,” she continued. ‘I’ve been through so much, 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 through so much and I’ve stayed strong every time. And I just try to stand strong for my teammates because I don’t want them to put me down and not be there for them… I’m still human. This has all happened since I won the national championship, and I said recently that I haven’t been happy since then. And it sucks, but I still wouldn’t change a thing.

Reese revealed that she “hasn’t been happy” since LSU won the national championship last year

“And I would still sit here and say that I am unapologetically myself, I will always leave that mark and be who I am and stand on that. And hopefully the little girls that look up to me… hopefully I give them some kind of inspiration… stay who you are, keep waking up every day, stay motivated.

Reese’s comments came after teammate Flau’Jae Johnson defended her on stage.

Johnson appeared to be referring to LA Times writer Ben Bolch’s since-updated op-ed, which called the LSU players “thugs.”

“Everyone is entitled to their opinion about Angel Reese. But you don’t know her. Like, you guys don’t know Angel Reese…I know the real Angel Reese,” Johnson said.

“And the person I see every day is a strong person, a caring, loving person. The crown she wears is heavy, mate. She is the type of teammate who makes you believe in yourself. The jump I made from my freshman year to my sophomore year – Angel gave me the confidence to become a dog. Playing next to a dog every day, and just to see the media making fun of her – been through our problems, but this is my sister here.

“And I’m so proud of her,” she continued. “The media, y’all, how they like to spin it and call it a bad guy and all that, you don’t know Angel, man. And I’m just happy that I get to play with her. I can be present with her, her energy is different. She just made me a better player… and that’s what great players do.

Reese scored 17 points but needed 21 shots to get there and went cold in the second half

Reese left the match with a foul at the 1:45 mark, potentially ending her collegiate career.

The 21-year-old has previously spoken about her ambition to play in the WNBA, and said on Monday evening: “I’ll make my decision when I’m ready.”

Just before halftime, in her team’s 94-87 loss, Reese appeared angry at LSU coach Kim Mulkey for “getting me the damn ball.”

Reese’s outburst with the score tied at 41-41, near the end of the first half,

At another point in the game, Reese appeared to tell her teammates to “stop taking stupid shots” during a timeout.