Reese joins Caitlin Clark in the draft pool
LSU women’s basketball star Angel Reese declared for the WNBA Draft on Wednesday, nearly 48 hours after the Tigers were eliminated from the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Reese revealed her decision in an interview and a fashion shoot with Vogue.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
LSU Tigers forward Angel Reese reacts to a foul call against the UCLA Bruins in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament at MVP Arena in Albany, New York, on March 30, 2024. (Gregory Fisher-USA Today Sports)
"I’ve done everything I wanted to in college," Reese said. "I’ve won a national championship, I’ve gotten (Southeastern Conference) Player of the Year, I’ve been an All-American. My ultimate goal is to be a pro – and to be one of the greatest basketball players to play, ever. I feel like I'm ready."
Reese started her collegiate journey at Maryland, where she was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team and the Big Ten All-Defense team in her first two seasons with the Terrapins. She averaged 17.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game in her sophomore year before deciding to transfer to LSU.
Reese quickly meshed well in Kim Mulkey’s rotation. She averaged 23 points and 15.4 rebounds per game. She was a unanimous All-America selection and guided LSU to a national championship, winning the Most Outstanding Player award of the tournament.
LSU Tigers forward Angel Reese controls the ball against Iowa Hawkeyes forward Hannah Stuelke in the finals of the Albany Regional in the NCAA Tournament at MVP Arena on April. 1, 2024. (Gregory Fisher-USA Today Sports)
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL FINAL FOUR POWER RANKINGS: WHO IS THE BEST TEAM LEFT IN THE TOURNAMENT?
She was thrust into the spotlight in that national championship. Her trash-talking of Caitlin Clark became one of the highlights of the game. It catapulted her into a newfound fame that helped her land lucrative NIL deals, including with Sports Illustrated.
"You don't really realize it in the moment," Reese said to Vogue about her viral fame against Iowa last year, "but obviously the things you say and do can change everything. I literally woke up the next day and I was a celebrity."
Reese nearly had a repeat of 2023 this season. Despite mysteriously missing a few games for the Tigers, she averaged 18.6 points and 13.4 rebounds and was only three wins away from repeating as national champions.
LSU's Angel Reese reacts in front of Iowa's Caitlin Clark during the NCAA Women's Final Four championship game, April 2, 2023, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
But now, she gets to turn pro and take on a whole new challenge in the WNBA.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
