The CBB World Shares a Love-Hate Relationship With Angel Reese: Why Does LSU Star Pay a Price for Stardom?

The college basketball world either celebrates or censures players, but rarely it indulges in a love-hate relationship. But the case of Angel Reese seems different. Since her previous championship season, the Bayou Barbie has been getting mixed reactions. Apart from her sudden disappearance from the LSU starting line, her disappointing season-opener is making her the talk of the town.

Angel Reese has been under fire since the Lady Tiger’s first match. The defending champs lost to a No.20 ranked team and shocked all and sundry. But now more fuel is added to this drama as Reese has been sidelined for the last three games without any reason. Many see it a move driven by hostility and hatred. 

But why they hate Angel Reese so much?

Reese is one of the most known and influential players in college basketball currently. With over 2.5 million followers on Instagram, she has become a celebrity for young hoopers and girls. But this kind of popularity doesn’t come without haters. And since her John Cena gesture towards Caitlin Clark in last season’s finals, she has been under constant fire of hate. 

During the match, with only a few minutes left on the clock, the score difference between LSU and Iowa was huge. And it was final that the Tigers won. In those few minutes Reese made the “you can’t see me” gesture while pointing towards her ring finger. This act of Reese had many people call her Classless. Many fans argued that she was receiving this hate because of her identity. But Reese remained unbothered with her unapologetic attitude. 

She even gets constant criticism based on her looks and skin color. Trolls consistently reply to posts about Reese with hurtful comments or share images of funny-looking animals on her social page.

Even after losing their first match of the season, Reese again became a target for the haters as they pointed out her game styles and suggested this was a reality check for her. But even after receiving so much hate, the player continues to keep her head high as she opens up about how she deals with haters.

Mantra to handle madness 

Just a few days before the 2023-24 NCAA season started, the Bayou Barbie sat down with Law Roach of Interview magazine and opened up about how she deals with all the negativities. 

“If you don’t have no haters, you ain’t popping. And I learned to ignore by looking at all the people that are inspired by me. I don’t really pay attention to haters because they’re going to say what they want to say. I have a voice and I’m not going to stop using my voice for the people that know that I am making an impact. A lot of people come up to me in the mall when I’m out, just thanking me—older women, younger girls, younger boys. It’s knowing that I have a voice and I am speaking for people that don’t have the platform that I do.”

Read More: Angel Reese Continues to Face The Wrath as Caitlin Clark’s 44-Point Banger Eclipses LSU’s Comeback Win

Her words show her self-confidence and ability to handle haters while improving her ball game. But even with a mindset like that, she’s already facing a lot of challenges this season.

Sidelined Star

In the Lady Tigers’ fourth game of the season against Kent State, Coach Mulkey benched Reese. After the match, the head coach was questioned about her call and in her response she simply stated that it was a “coach’s decision.” 

Since that game, the Lady Tiger played two more games but Reese was sidelined in both of them. So far, it has not been cleared by the Coach or the players of what is going on inside the empire. 

Watch This Story: Impressing A’ja Wilson With NCAA Fierceness, Angel Reese Opens Up About Impact on WNBA

As the team advances further into the season, much depends upon Mulkey’s next move. Only she can clear the decks for Angel Reese’s return to the court. Till then, rumors are unlikely to rest.