Angel Reese and the LSU Tigers are facing a little adversity as they try to defend their national championship in a few weeks.
The Tigers lost the SEC Conference Championship to the undefeated University of South Carolina Gamecocks in a game that was marred by a scuffle that led to the ejection of both team's benches.
LSU guard Flau'jae Johnson was initially involved in the scuffle that led to Gamecocks center Kamilla Cordoso pushing her before the benches cleared. But the moment the benches began to clear, Reese is seen on video completely avoiding the fight and actually going the opposite direction.
Watch Angel Reese when the LSU vs. South Carolina melee occurs.
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) March 10, 2024
She said, I ain’t got time!!! 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/UQCdxubvLy
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Reese faced some criticism for not coming to the aid of her teammates during the scuffle, but she addressed this heat on X, formerly Twitter, after the game by saying that someone of her "status" has to be wary during those moments.
"As a person at my STATUS, sometimes you have to walk away from certain situations," Reese tweeted. "Mind you the play before that i had rolled my ankle AGAIN and was already walking to the bench. I ALWAYS ride for mine. I'm super proud of this team & super excited for march. #geauxtigers"
As a person at my STATUS, sometimes you have to walk away from certain situations. Mind you the play before that I had rolled my ankle AGAIN and was already walking to the bench. I ALWAYS ride for mine. I’m super proud of this team & super excited for march. #geauxtigers 💜💛
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) March 11, 2024
Reese could be referring to multiple things here when she wrote "STATUS."
On the court, she may be trying to protect herself and her team. LSU is obviously coming off a national championship run where she won championship game MVP and she's also their leading scorer and rebounder. Joining the ruckus could have put her in a situation where she would have been ejected or faced suspension for the NCAA Tournament, which is what happened to South Carolina's Kamilla Cardoso, who like Reese, is also the Gamecocks' leading scorer and rebounder but is expected to miss the team's March Madness opener due to the push she gave Johnson.
Reese could also be referring to her own brand and image off the court. She faced a lot of heat last year when she and Iowa's Caitlin Clark were chirping at each other during the championship game, and may want to avoid more of that. She's also sits just behind Clark in terms of On3's NIL valuation among women's basketball players at $1.7 million, and she likely doesn't want to risk any of that with a silly fight.
Like Clark and Cardoso, she's also expected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming 2024 WNBA Draft, so showing her composure during those moments might bode well for her as she moves into the professional space.
Either way, it was likely a wise move for both LSU and Reese that she rid herself of any risk at more controversy especially as the team enters the tournament as contenders, but not as favorites.
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