Angel Reese, Flau'jae Johnson and Hailey Van Lith press conference after LSU loss to Iowa in Elite 8

Pat Eden Rob with the Associated Press Angel I know it hurts now, but you mentioned what a wild ride this team has been on over the last year. Can you describe what it meant to you? How has it been for both of you? the positives and the negatives, yes we we we we have seen it all this year. We've been through so much adversity, so I'm beyond proud of this team. We don't have that much debt. We had some. injuries at some point I took some time away from the team um so many things happened this year and so many things hit us and we never retired and just being able to go out tonight and give it our all for 40 minutes we didn't, we went up Bottom line, but we have to keep your head up Andre Adon with ESPN for Angel we saw you come in I think you went down on the cameras uh in the second quarter um did you sprain your ankle? would be the first question.

That? it will affect you for the rest of the game if it affected you yeah I sprained my ankle on one of the cameras um and I mean I'm tough so I tried to play it of course and this is something that's been going on I'm going on for a while , but I played it and I'm not going to make that excuse, um, for the rest of my game, go ahead, uh, Michael Cobell, WBZ TV and Baton Rouge for Haley and FL, how difficult. Caitlyn's cover is, I mean, obviously you were fighting all night, but just the challenge that she presents, yeah, Caitlin is very skilled, she's a great player, she made some tough shots and there's not much you can do about some of the three. she hit it and I think you know her role, the team around her that plays a role, they did a good job of executing their role so you know ultimately they play better than us and that's what was right behind NOPE, thanks, hello, sorry. uh M Adler from the next FL J I wanted to ask specifically, just answering that last question.

You know you had some possessions against Caitlyn in the fourth quarter. You can force some turnovers. Force some failures. Know? take on that matchup and try to help start a run, I mean just study her film, I think my length bothered her a little bit, I'm aggressive, I just wasn't afraid, you know what I'm saying when you play against a player like That's like if you were to look him in the eyes and really accept that challenge. I just tried to force her to go to the left. I know she wanted to step back and my length, you know?

Can you tease her a little? But you know I have to be. best Howard mdal next um congratulations on the season you guys have had flj if I could hear you guys about Angel and the type of leadership that she has provided to this team and Angel can you explain to me what it meant to see what FJ was capable of? what to do in a game like this, you know, put up 23 points and be a factor on both ends, bro, let me tell you something, everyone might have their opinion on Angel re um, but you guys don't know his hand like you do. 'Everyone doesn't know Angel Reese.

I know Angel Reese. I know the real

angel

Reese and the person I see every day is a strong person, she is a loving and caring person, brother, the crown she wears is heavy, brother, she is the kind of teammate that is going to make you believe in yourself the jump I took for my sophomore freshman Angel gave me that confidence to go be a dog playing next to a dog every day and you know just to see how the media ridicule her we went through our problems but That's who my sister is and I'm as proud of her as the media, how they like to twist it and call him a villain and all that, they don't know, Angel bro, and I'm happy that I get to play with her.

I can be close to her presence. Her energy is different. She just made me a better player. She made me a better player. And that's what great players do. I'll say something too. I think you already know Angel. He is one of the toughest people I have ever been around. Facts. People speak hate in his life. I've never seen people wish bad things on someone as much as they wish her and it doesn't affect her. She comes to practice every day. life every day she lives how she wants to live and she doesn't let anyone change that and you know that's the key to life right there, you don't get to it, let me say it again, you don't get to Angel Reese, like that that you might want to quit throw in the towel because you're wasting your energy so Angel is one of the toughest people I've ever been around here go ahead uh D sesy outkick.com Angel do you have any?

Thoughts on your future plans in basketball. I'll make a decision when I'm ready. Jac said wab TV and Baton Rouge faced either player in the third quarter. What do you think she went wrong there? your little snake balls just came out of the rim and some turnovers and stuff, yeah that's pretty much it, they outscored us in the third quarter. I think it was just a turnover experience like you said. I take it on the chin. I feel like I have to be better, just communicate better with my team, get into the offense better, like I have to be better.

I think as a team, that third quarter, you know, it tanked, it never came back up per se, you know what I am? I'm saying, but they were just little mistakes, all that, everyday things that we do in practice, you know, bad pass here, flip here, defense, bad execution, transition, you know what I'm saying, so they'll be things that we'll have to clean. but we take it on the chin, okay, go ahead here. I didn't have any questions. You had your hand raised. Go behind and then you did it. Ben Pikman of Atletico. um. This is for F and Angel.

He looked like Angel when you committed a foul. When you came out, you walked over to the bench and put your arm around F and F put his arm around you. What did you say at that moment and what was that moment like for both of you? Yeah, I just told him to keep leading the team. um and don't give up and keep fighting, I mean, f has done a great job when I'm down or not having my best game, being able to have a player as a teammate like f as a sophomore, just a sophomore. year goes on and she just led the team and through everything she led the team all year long so we had that relationship and just being able to talk to her in that moment was great yeah she was just like they said she was just making me responsible, you know?

She was telling him, cheer us up, cheer us up, keep going, you know what I'm saying, that's all I could do right there. Erica Lala with cbssports.com Angel, this question will be for you if you are willing to share what was going on. in your mind when you heard your two teammates right here in the of just taking the opportunity to really defend you and how your journey has been, we can't see that, I can't really defend you. standing up for myself, I mean, I have great teammates, I have a great support system, I have my hometown, I have a family that stands up for me, I can't really talk about things on my own because I just try to ignore them and just try. to stay strong like I've been through so much I've seen so much I've been attacked so many times with death threats I've been sexualized I've been threatened I've been so many things and I've stood my ground every time and I'm just trying to stay strong for my teammates because I don't want them to see me de

press

ed and not being there for them, so I always want to know that I'm still a human being like all of this has made me.

It happened since I won the national championship and I said the other day that I haven't had peace since and it sucks but I still wouldn't change, I wouldn't change anything and I would still sit here and say as if Unapologetically I mean I'm always going to leave to Mark and being who I am and sticking to that and hopefully the little girls that look up to me and I hope to give them some kind of inspiration that they know that hopefully it's not that hard and all the things. that come at you but stay who you are keep waking up every day keep Mo motivated keep being who you stay T your toes don't back away and just be confident this is for uh cam can you talk a little?

Let's wait until they let me sure, just players at the moment, thanks, sorry, this for Ang, can I ask the same question for Angel and you three? What is the impact of the LSU Iowa rivalry on women's basketball? Let's start with Angel, thank you, um. I think it's great for the sport to just be able to be a part of history. Like I said, it doesn't matter which direction tonight went. I know this was going to be a night for the ages and just being able to be a part of history. It's great to play against another great player of course, it's always amazing and our audience is growing and I'm sure a lot of different people watched us tonight so I'm happy to be here.

I am happy to continue elevating women's sports, not only. women's basketball but just women's sports in general flj yeah um it's good for the game well women's basketball has reached new heights. I'm happy to be a part of this, happy to be a part of this, you know, it's not everything. The times you see players like Caitlyn Clark and injuries, you know what I'm saying and I'm blessed last year. I was a freshman and I saw everything this year. I am a second year student and I can contribute. You know, contribute next year. I'm going to leave my mark and grow the game Haley, yeah, like they said, I mean, you know it's an honor to be a part of this, it was an honor to be in that moment, and the best thing about rivalries is that they don't end. so LSU and Iowa will meet again and, you know, we'll have another chance, the last one, the last one is here,

angel

, it seemed like you had a nice exchange with Caitlyn and the handshake line that you would care to share, something like that.

It sounds like you know what you told her, yeah, she just told me to keep being a great player and I told her to keep being a great player too and keep elevating the game and go win it. Thank you student athletes for your time this week we appreciate it thank you