LSU star Angel Reese declares for WNBA draft via Vogue photo shoot, says ‘I didn’t want to be basic’

Bayou Barbie is WNBA bound. LSU star Angel Reese, who is known for her eyelash extensions, painted fingernails and ferocious play in the paint, formally declared for the WNBA draft on Wednesday. Her announcement comes two days after the Tigers’ season ended with a loss to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Elite Eight round of the women’s NCAA Tournament .

Reese, who has expressed an interest in working in fashion and modeling, announced her decision via a photo shoot in Vogue , saying she was inspired by tennis great Serena Williams announcing her retirement in 2022 in a similar manner.

Reese, who publicly had left open the option of returning for another year at LSU, acknowledged having made up her mind to turn pro before March Madness began.

“Of course, I like to do everything big,” Reese told the magazine. “I didn’t want anything to be basic.”

“I’ve done everything I wanted to in college,” added Reese, who also has expressed interest in playing professionally in Europe during the WNBA offseason. “I’ve won a national championship, I’ve gotten (Southeastern Conference) Player of the Year, I’ve been an All-American. My ultimate goal is to be a pro — and to be one of the greatest basketball players to play, ever. I feel like I’m ready.”

Reese, a dynamic, 6-foot-3 forward who can run the floor, guard the perimeter and block shots anywhere, likely will join Clark, the expected No. 1 pick by Indiana, as one of the top players drafted on April 15. Draft analysts have projected Reese as a seventh or eighth overall choice. An undeveloped outside shot is among the few questions about her game as she leaves college.

Reese grew up in Baltimore and began her college career at Maryland, where her brother, Julian, plays for the men’s team. She transferred to LSU in 2022 and the Tigers won the program’s only national title in Reese’s first season.

“She helped transform our program,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said. “We are all indebted to Angel Reese for the contributions she has given to this program, helping us win our first national championship, and the contributions she made on our university as a whole.”

Reese registered 61 double-doubles for the Tigers in two seasons. Only Sylvia Fowles had more double-doubles at LSU.

Reese averaged 20.9 points and 14.4 rebounds per game at LSU, including seven games with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. Reese became the first SEC player since Vanderbilt’s Wendy Scholtens in 1989 and 1990 to lead the league in both scoring and rebounding in consecutive seasons.

This season, Reese was named the SEC Player of the Year. Reese has played four college seasons but was among those athletes granted an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA because their careers overlapped with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: AP News

N.C. State and its 2 DJs headed to 1st Final Four since 1983 after 76-64 win over Duke

ONFIRE-TV.com – Bruising big man DJ Burns Jr. plays with plenty of joy, skipping on and off the floor and interacting with North Carolina State fans that he often works into a frenzy with slick moves and a soft-touch shot.

“I was raised in a happy environment,” Burns said. “I try to take that with me everywhere I go.”

Now he can take that to the desert for the Wolfpack’s first Final Four in four decades. The 6-foot-9, 275-pound Burns scored a season-high 29 points on 13-of-19 shooting, DJ Horne had 20 and 11th-seeded N.C. State beat Atlantic Coast Conference rival Duke 76-64 in the South Region final Sunday. N.C. State is back on basketball’s biggest stage for the first time since the late Jim Valvano was sprinting around the court looking for someone to hug after winning the 1983 national title with an upset over Houston and Phi Slama Jama.

“These guys are so special,” seventh-year coach Kevin Keatts said. “Nine elimination games or you go home.”

These Wolfpack (26-14) head to Glendale, Arizona, with the most losses ever for a Final Four team, but on a winning streak that began after losing their last four regular-season games, and seven of nine. They had to win five games against past national champions in five days in the ACC Tournament, including a win over Duke in the quarterfinal round, just to get into the 68-team NCAA Tournament field. Now they will play 7-foot-4 All-American Zach Edey and Purdue in the first national semifinal game, before defending champion UConn takes on Alabama.