Angel Reese applauds Dawn Staley, South Carolina after national championship
South Carolina secured the college basketball crown on Sunday with their 87-75 win over Iowa. Now, from one queen to a team full of them, Angel Reese has sent her praise to the Gamecocks.
Reese tweeted at Dawn Staley and South Carolina after their dozen-point victory over the Hawkeyes in the national championship. She especially commended Staley for all that she has done in the sport and what she had done specifically for her.
“I’m sooo happy for @dawnstaley!!” Reese wrote. “As a black woman, I admire what cyou’ve done! You always checked on me & always loved me like your own!”
Reese played against South Carolina four times in her career, once at Maryland and three others while at LSU including this year’s SEC Championship. In those games, which all ended in losses, she averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks.
Reese was clearly interested in this game as she tweeted throughout the contest. She did so during a game that featured South Carolina, a conference foe, and an opponent in Iowa that she split postseason matchups with in last year’s national championship and this year’s Elite Eight.
“Such a great season for WBB! Congrats SC!!” Reese wrote in a separate tweet. “Excited for what’s next & continuing to come for WBB!”
Reese and South Carolina have separately been two of the sport’s biggest stories this season, both in the Southeastern Conference and nationally. Now, with each of them having earned a banner against the Hawkeyes in the past two years, one champion is congratulating the other for their achievement.
Reese comments on tight officiating in national championship
Just about all eyes are on the Iowa vs. South Carolina matchup in the national championship game on Sunday, including those of LSU superstar Angel Reese.
Reese, whose team was eliminated by the Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight, seemed to be upset with the officiating early on.
“[I] see how this game is about to go smh,” Reese wrote on Twitter.
Then, after Natasha Cloud of the WNBA tweeted at her saying they were “trying to refrain from tweeting about some of these calls”, Reese responded again.
“[I]’ve typed up so many things and just hit delete about 6 times already,” she wrote.
The calls in the early going favored Iowa, with the Hawkeyes getting to the free-throw line 11 times in the first half, compared to just five times for South Carolina.
Superstar Caitlin Clark got to the line six times in the first half of the national championship game. That’s more than the rest of the South Carolina squad combined. A couple South Carolina players also found themselves in foul trouble early, with guard Tessa Johnson, forward Ashlyn Watkins and guard Bree Hall all having two in the first half.