LSU star Angel Reese played her final college basketball game on Monday. Her teammate Flau’Jae Johnson made sure to shield Reese from slander on her way out.
LSU lost to Iowa 94-87 in their Elite Eight matchup to Iowa held at MVP Arena in Albany, N.Y.
Reese tallied 17 points and 20 rebounds, but struggled from the field with a 7-for-21 shooting clip. Johnson led LSU in scoring with 23 points on 10-of-18 shooting.
Reese has turned into a polarizing figure in women’s college basketball. Some fans turned on Reese after she taunted Caitlin Clark during last year’s national title game.
After this year's rematch, Johnson called out the media for helping spread what she believed to be undeserved hate against Reese.
“Everybody could have their opinion on Angel Reese," Johnson said in the news conference. "But y’all don’t know her. Y’all don’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’s a caring, loving person. The crown she wears is heavy, bro. She’s the type of teammate that will make you believe in yourself.”
Johnson also credited Reese for empowering the sophomore to make a huge leap this season.
Johnson became LSU’s third-leading scorer this year, averaging 14.7 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.1 steals on 50.1 percent shooting from the floor and 39.5 percent from beyond the arc. All marks are career highs for Johnson.
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