LSU star Angel Reese declares for WNBA draft with Vogue photo shoot
Angel Reese, the LSU basketball star known as the Bayou Barbie, has formally declared for the WNBA draft less than two days after the Tigers’ season ended with a loss to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament.
The 21-year-old forward, who shared her decision in an exclusive to Vogue published Wednesday and paired with a glossy photo shoot, will forgo her senior season at the Baton Rouge school to make the jump to the professional ranks with Clark. declared in favor of the draft in February.
Reese said her decision to reveal her plans via the fashion bible was inspired by Serena Williams’ similar retirement in 2022. Reese acknowledged that she made her decision to turn pro before March Madness started.
“Of course I like to do everything big,” Reese told the magazine. “I didn’t want everything to be basic.”
“I did everything I wanted to do in college,” Reese added. “I’ve won a national championship, I’ve been (Southeastern Conference) Player of the Year, I’ve been an All-American. My ultimate goal is to become a professional – and be one of the best basketball players ever. I feel like I’m ready.”
Reese is expected to be selected as one of the top picks in the draft to be held on April 15 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Clark is widely expected to be selected with the first overall pick by the Indiana Fever.
A two-time All-American first-team member, Reese was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament last year after leading the Tigers to the first national championship in school history with a victory over Iowa in the final.
After LSU’s title defense was thwarted Monday in a highly anticipated rematch with the Hawkeyes, Reese spoke at length about the pressure she’s faced since rocketing to national prominence a year ago.
“I’ve been attacked so many times, death threats, I’ve been sexualized, I’ve been threatened, I’ve been so many things, and I’ve stayed strong every time,” Reese said during the postgame presser. conference. “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. This has all happened since I won the national championship. It sucks, but I still wouldn’t change.
“The little girls that look up to me, hopefully I give them some kind of inspiration – keep waking up every day, stay motivated, stay who you are, stand on 10 toes, don’t back down and just be confident.”