"Y’all do not get to her": LSU's Hailey Van Lith stands by 'toughest' $1.8M NIL star Angel Reese after Elite Eight loss to Iowa
The Elite Eight game between Angel Reese's LSU and Caitlin Clark's Iowa marked the end of LSU's season on Monday night, as the Hawkeyes triumphed in a rematch of the national title, advancing to the Final Four with a 94-87 victory.
Even with Angel Reese's valiant effort, achieving a 17-point, 20-rebound double-double, the Tigers fell short of defending their title. Criticism has been directed towards Reese. However, as the criticism overstepped a boundary, her teammates stood up for their leader after the game.
Guard Hailey Van Lith echoed her sentiments for $1.8 million in NIL valued (according to On3) by Angel Reese at the post-game conference, as she said:
“Angel’s one of the toughest people I’ve been around,” Van Lith 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 then added that Reese lives her life the way she wants to.
"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. And that’s the key to life right there."
She further said that the people who hate her are actually wasting their energy.
“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 give it up. Throw the towel in. Because you’re wasting your energy. Angel is one of the toughest people I’ve been around.”
Also read: Angel Reese stats: How did the LSU star perform against Iowa?
Flau'jae Johnson on Angel Reese
Apart from Hailey Van Lith, Flau'jae Johnson also voiced her support for Angel Reese at the post-game press conference. This speaks volumes about Reese's reputation among her teammates.
Despite a history of conflict between their mothers, Johnson's words towards her teammate show how much she values her. Johnson who led the Tigers with 23 points in the loss said,
“Everybody can have their opinion on Angel Reese, but y’all don’t know her. Y’all don’t know Angel Reese. I know Angel Reese. I know the real Angel Reese and the person I see every day is a strong person. Is a caring, loving person. The crown she wears is heavy. She’s the type of teammate that’s going to make you believe in yourself."
Throughout the 2023-2024 season, Reese maintained an average of 18.7 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. The specifics of her future in the WNBA are not known yet as there were expectations of her returning to LSU.
Also read: Angel Reese WNBA draft: Top 5 landing spots for LSU star if she decides to turn pro ft. Los Angeles Sparks