Content to not 'fit the narrative,' LSU's Reese has last laugh

DALLAS — LSU Tigers women's basketball star Angel Reese won the national championship and the Most Outstanding Player award at the women's Final Four on Sunday then said she wasn't concerned about any criticism directed toward her.

«All year, I was critiqued for who I was. I don't fit the narrative,» Reese said. «I don't fit the box that y'all want me to be in. I'm too hood. I'm too ghetto. Y'all told me that all year. When other people do it, and y'all don't say nothing.

»So this is for the girls that look like me. For those that want to speak up for what they believe in. It's unapologetically you. And that's what I [did] before tonight. It was bigger than me tonight. And Twitter is going to go into a rage every time."

Reese, a 6-foot-3 forward who transferred to LSU this season after two years at Maryland, had 15 points and 10 rebounds in the Tigers' 102-85 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes. Late in the game, she gave wrestling star John Cena's «You can't see me» hand motion toward Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark then motioned to her ring finger to symbolize the national championship ring she would be receiving.

Clark, who had done her own Cena move and trash talk during the tournament, was asked about Reese and said she didn't notice anything negative about her or LSU.

«I was just trying to get to the handshake line and shake hands and be grateful that my team was in that position,» Clark said. «All the credit in the world to LSU. They were tremendous. They deserve it. They had a tremendous season.

»Kim Mulkey coached them so, so well. She's one of the best basketball coaches of all time, and it shows. She only said really kind things to me in the handshake line, so I'm very grateful of that too."

Reese said of her