Angel Reese of LSU Tigers speaking at press conference.Angel Reese

LSU Tigers star Angel Reese had a heartbreaking message following the team’s Elite 8 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes on Monday night.

In a rematch of last year’s national championship game, Angel Reese and the Tigers put up a spirited effort but fell 94-87 to Caitlin Clark’s Hawkeyes. The loss ended LSU’s bid for a repeat, and now the program will wait and see if Reese decides to either a) return to college for another year or b) declare for the WNBA Draft.

An emotional Reese had a heartbreaking message in her post-game press conference to reporters, noting all the cruel and disturbing attacks she’s had to deal endure:

“I’ve been through so much, I’ve seen so much. I’ve been attacked so many times. Death threats, I’ve been sexualized. I’ve been threatened…I just try to stand strong for my teammates because I don’t want them to see me down…

And it sucks…but I wouldn’t change anything…I’m unapologetically me. I’m always going to leave that mark and be who I am.”

Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark have been two of the most dominant and widely talked-about athletes over the past year. But of course, there was only room for one of the two to move on into the Final Four.

Caitlin Clark already announced back in February that she was declaring for the upcoming 2024 WNBA Draft. The Indiana Fever hold the No. 1 pick and are widely expected to take the 22-year-old Clark with that selection.

For what it’s worth, ESPN’s Michael Voepel has Reese going seventh overall to the Minnesota Lynx in his mock draft.

Angel Reese Cemented Her Legacy Long Ago

No matter what happened in the women’s March Madness tournament, one thing as clear: Angel Reese’s NCAA legacy was already cemented, and anything she and the Tigers accomplished this year was just a bonus.

With a national championship, the 2023 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, 2024 SEC Player of the Year awards and 2023 unanimous first-team All-American honors on her resume, Reese has a legacy cemented as an all-time NCAA great.

And Reese did her part in trying to keep the Tigers’ season alive, racking up 17 points, 20 rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks in Monday’s loss. Reese gave it her all against Clark’s Hawkeyes, and there’s no shame in losing to the No. 1 ranked team.