LSU's Angel Reese opens up about dealing with hateful speech, death threats: 'I've been through so much'
ALBANY, N.Y. — Following her team’s Elite Eight loss to Iowa, Angel Reese reflected on the difficulties she’s encountered since LSU won the title in 2023.
Reese led LSU to a national championship last season, and after that, she became a celebrity. Fame hasn’t been easy.
“I've been through so much,” she said after LSU's season-ending 94-87 loss to Iowa on Monday. “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, and I've stood strong every single time.”
Reese also expressed her desire to stay strong for her teammates and not let them see her down. But she said sometimes it gets to be too much.
“All this has happened since I won the national championship,” Reese said. “And it sucks, but I still wouldn't change anything, and I would still sit here and say I'm unapologetically me. I'm going to always leave that mark and be who I am and stand on that.”
LSU teammates Flau’jae Johnson and Hailey Van Lith also came to Reese’s defense.
“Man, let me tell you something. Everybody can have their opinion on Angel Reese, but y'all don't know her,” Johnson said. “I know the real Angel Reese, and the person I see every day is a strong person, is a caring, loving person. But the crown she wears is heavy.”
Van Lith, who also spoke out Sunday about the racism her teammates face, described Reese as a person with immense strength.
“I think Angel is one of the toughest people I've been around,” she said. “People speak hate into her life. I've never seen people wish bad things on someone as much as her, and it does not affect her. She comes to practice every day. She lives her life every day. She lives how she wants to live, and she don't let nobody change that. That's the key to life right there. Y'all do not get to her. Let me say it again. Y'all do not get to Angel Reese. So you might want to throw the towel in because you're wasting your energy.”
