Angel Reese Says LSU Are 'Good Villains' in Women's CBB: 'Just Changing the Game'

LSU forward Angel Reese wants everyone to know that the Tigers aren't the villains they have been made out to be during the 2024 NCAA tournament.

"We're the good villains," Reese told reporters after LSU's 78-69 win over UCLA on Saturday. "Everybody wants to beat LSU. Everybody wants to be LSU. You've got to realize like we're not any regular basketball team. We're just changing the game.

"We're doing the unknown. Me being able to be on the court but also off the court, I like to model and do other things. I can do both. Flau'jae [Johnson] can do both. Aneesah [Morrow] can do both. We can all do both. That's what people don't believe in. They don't think that we're focused, and we prove every single night when we get between those lines, we're focused."

Reese was responding to an article in the Los Angeles Times that dubbed LSU "basketball villains" and UCLA "America's sweethearts." The article also portrayed Saturday's matchup as "good versus evil. Right versus wrong. Inclusive versus divisive."

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey, who was the subject of a Washington Post profile on Saturday that she described earlier in the week as a "hit piece," also addressed the L.A. Times article while speaking to reporters after the game, saying it crossed the line.

"The one thing I'm not going to let you do, I'm not going to let you attack young people, and there were some things in this commentary that you should be offended by as women," Mulkey said. "It was so sexist. It was good versus evil in that game today. Evil? Called us dirty debutantes? Are you kidding me?"

LSU, the reigning national champion, is now headed to the Elite Eight to face Caitlin Clark and Iowa in a rematch of last year's title game.

Reese, Johnson, Morrow, Mikaylah Williams and Hailey Van Lith will have to put everything on the line if they hope to stymie Clark and keep LSU's repeat hopes alive.

Johnson was the best player on the court on Saturday, notching 24 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in the win. Reese finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds, four steals and two blocks.