LSU forward Angel Reese shares powerful message following emotional SEC Tournament loss

And it turned up and went ways that we didn’t want it to go, but I’m proud of this team. We fought, we fought, we fought with five, maybe six healthy players – if that. Just know we’re not scared, and we’re in a place right now that I’m proud of, and I’m happy about where we are right now.”

Depth for the purple and gold was without a doubt a concern entering the day, and it would turn out to be a major turning point in the way things went in the championship. SEC foe South Carolina was healthy coming in and they used it to their advantage, getting 10 players on the court, nine of which received double-digit minutes.

In contrast, three of the Tigers ended up playing all 40 minutes. Even so, the team kept it close, even making it a five point game with less than two minutes to go.

While on one hand the team did come up short and will enter the NCAA Tournament with another loss against South Carolina, it’s important to note that LSU is battle tested and has the potential to beat just about anyone once fully healthy.

The team is ready for whatever comes next in March

With SEC play officially coming to an end this afternoon, all eyes have officially turned to the NCAA Tournament which is set to begin in a little less than two weeks on March 20, 2024.

While many will look at today’s loss and count coach Kim Mulkey and the Tigers out, this one game doesn’t entirely tell the full story.

The Tigers are officially entering the tournament on a 10-1 run and have plenty of positive momentum. Furthermore, the roster was battling injuries in just about every capacity before today. Forward Angel Reese and guard Mikaylah Williams played today on lower body injuries, while guard Last-Tear Poa left the tournament on Saturday with a concussion.

In turn, it’s safe to say that LSU very well could be moving forward as one of the most battle-tested teams in the country. Even scarier, they now have 10 days to get healthy after experiencing an incredibly emotional loss vs. the Gamecocks.

“We’re not scared of South Carolina. And I’m going to repeat that. We’re not scared of South Carolina,” Reese continued about her team, “A lot of people are scared of them, and we came in and battled, and battled, and battled, and battled until the end, and of course, we came up short, but we’ll see them again, or whoever will see them again.”

I’m just happy and I’m gonna acknowledge my teammates first. Janae (Kent) , Aalyah (Del Rosario), they came off the bench and did big things for us. Mikaylah (Williams), she was frustrated because she had to do minimum numbers and minimum time, but she came out there and did what she did, and she defended and she played as hard as she could.”

Among the seven players to see time on the court today for the purple and gold were three freshmen, with Janae Kent, Aalyah Del Rosario and Mikaylah Williams combining for 46 minutes, 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

As we look ahead to the NCAA Tournament, LSU women’s basketball has a final record of 28-5, with losses coming against Colorado, as well as fellow SEC opponents Auburn, South Carolina and Mississippi State.

With a chance to not only get healthy, but mentally prepare for yet another long tournament schedule, the Tigers are certainly looking dangerous moving forward, and star senior Angel Reese is abundantly aware of it.

“We played hard; we played tough. We did whatever it took to win, and sadly we came up short, but I’m happy where we are right now and anybody seeing us moving forward should be scared.”

While we don’t yet know who LSU is set to face in the first round, we won’t have to wait long to find out, as Selection Sunday is set to take place a little less than a week from now. You can tune in live on Sunday, March 17, at 7:00 p.m. CST on ESPN.