LSU Women's Basketball: Morris Reese and Angel Reese Share the Love After Beating UGA #lsu #morris #women's #reese #and #angel #share #the #love

Morris and Reese are early favorites to earn a place on the Wooden Award All-America team. ESPN ranked them among the top five players in America entering this season, and their contributions have been instrumental to LSU's remarkable start.

These two sophomores are leading the SEC with an average of over 20 points and 12 rebounds per game this season, leading both categories.

Angel Reese

Angel Reese never imagined she'd end up in Baton Rouge, but when LSU coach Mike Mulkey called her from the transfer portal last year and offered to help her with NIL deals on top of everything else, Angel thought it might just be her lucky day. With only four months remaining until graduation from Maryland and plenty of NIL deals to manage alongside a full academic load, Mulkey persuaded her to join his team - which now boasts some of the SEC's top players.

She's a true freshman in her first season with the Tigers and has already earned plenty of recognition, including a trip to the NCAA Women's Final Four and an AP All-SEC Third Team honor. Additionally, she tied Sylvia Fowles' LSU program record with 19 consecutive double-doubles this season, placing her among top five nationally in both categories.

Reese has achieved success, yet she continues to work hard to become a player with an admirable character. She's learned the strength of standing her ground when necessary and not being afraid to express what she thinks.

She's always wanted to do that since she was a small girl. When her mom took her to an LSU game, she remembers seeing WNBA legend Seimone Augustus playing. To commemorate this special memory, she keeps a picture of herself next to Augustus that hangs in her room.

Reese may not be as famous or well-known as Augustus, but she understands what it takes to be a leader in her community. And she hopes to leave a similar legacy for her daughter back home in Baton Rouge.

Reese loves to listen to music when she's not on the court. To drown out outside noise, she inserts her AirPod Pro headphones and then slips on black Beats By Dre wireless studio earphones over her ears - providing an intimate space where she can savor all of her favorite tunes.

Reese refers to her workout setup as the "Bayou Barbie." And it plays an integral part of who she is as she listens to her favorite music while working out or prepping for a game.

Flau’jae Johnson

The LSU women's basketball team has a new star on its roster, and she hasn't shied away from sharing the spotlight. Freshman guard Flau'jae Johnson earned an array of accolades during her first season in Baton Rouge, leading the Tigers to their first SEC title since 2009 and earning SEC Freshman of the Year honors for the first time in program history.

The 6-foot-2 native of Savannah isn't just an accomplished basketball player; she's also a gifted rapper whose music has gained fans around the world. Recently invited to perform on NBC's America's Got Talent: All-Stars, she's gained thousands of new admirers.

Johnson's music and basketball talents are not mutually exclusive, as the 19-year-old rapper already has a partnership with Puma. Additionally, she's part of Meta's NIL Empower program, which connects athletes to brands that want to empower them both on and off the court.

Johnson has been given an NIL deal that allows her to combine her two major talents while playing for the Tigers. As a two-time high school All-American and Roc Nation signee, Johnson has already been able to use her star status to secure a multiyear shoe deal with Nike - the world's leading athletic apparel brand.

Last week, Johnson's performance against Arkansas was another example of her versatility and ability to step up in crucial moments. On Thursday night, she hit four crucial free throws with 16 seconds remaining to secure a 79-76 victory over the Razorbacks.

Mulkey, in her 25th year coaching women's college basketball, knows her young freshman have plenty to learn. And she's eager to discover how they can use their unique abilities and become a star off the court as well.

When Flau'jae Johnson isn't playing basketball, she spends her free moments brainstorming with her mom about potential brand deals. As an NIL, Flau'jae Johnson's talents and star potential will only increase, with plenty of new tasks being assigned to her already.

Alexis Morris

In 2017, when Morris joined LSU coach Kim Mulkey's team as a top prospect out of Texas high school, she believed she had taken her basketball career to the next level. Unfortunately, her dismissal from Baylor left her feeling empty and unfulfilled.

Morris was given another opportunity at Mulkey's program, and this time it has worked out perfectly. Since returning to LSU last season, Morris has blossomed into an outstanding point guard who is helping LSU improve its national respect and record.

She has been a rock-solid presence for an LSU team that went 26-6, finished second in the SEC and won an NCAA Tournament game this year. This season she is averaging 14 points, 5.0 assists and shooting 50% from the field - an impressive stat line!

On Monday night, her performance against Tennessee was undoubtedly one of her finest. Her 31 points were the most points scored by an LSU player this season and helped the Tigers secure their most impressive victory so far this year.

Morris is the only player in the SEC to score at least 20 points in each conference game this season and she's been an essential component of LSU's defense as well. Her knack for creating turnovers has been a major reason why their Tigers have allowed the fewest points in league play this year - an achievement Morris takes great pride in.

On January 29th against Mississippi State, she set the stage for Lewis to make two three-pointers and secure a 62-34 victory. The Lady Bulldogs forced 27 turnovers throughout the game and Morris' layup with 4:23 left in the second quarter gave LSU an unassailable lead that they wouldn't relinquish.

On a night of joyous celebration, Morris and her teammates showed the world how much they appreciate each other after their victory. The Pete Maravich Assembly Center witnessed its fifth-largest crowd ever and Morris danced alongside them as they cheered them to victory until the final buzzer.

On Saturday, Morris will join her coach and teammates as they gear up for the SEC Women's Tournament semifinal against 3-seed Tennessee. Following that, it's back to work in the SEC as the Tigers aim to build on their success and make a deep run to the SEC championship game.

LaDazhia Williams

On Thursday night, LSU teammates Morris Reese, Jayla Kelly and LaDazhia Williams took a moment to show their affection. It was the first time all season that a win had been decided by just one point, giving the Tigers momentum as they looked to finish out an undefeated season.

Reese scored a game-high 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting and pulled down 19 rebounds, marking her fourth double-figure scoring performance this season. Additionally, she dished out three assists for her fourth double-figure outing of the season while recording five steals and matching her career high with four blocks.

Reese is a graduate transfer from Missouri who started 18 games as a freshman last year and has excelled under coach Morgan Pingeton. She's one of several experienced players the Tigers have in their rotation and brings an inside presence that the Tigers didn't have before.

The 6-4 forward can play either guard position, but she's most effective on the inside. Last season she averaged 12.4 points and 4.2 rebounds while establishing herself as an effective shooter with a 58.2% field-goal percentage and 1.2 blocks per game.

As a junior at Lakewood Ranch, she led the Mustangs to victory in the state championship and earned herself an all-state selection from Florida Association of Basketball Coaches. Furthermore, she finished as both leading scorer and rebounder with an impressive 37.5 average throughout her high school career.

As a redshirt sophomore, she's averaging 13.3 points and 5.9 rebounds this season while shooting an impressive 37% from 3-point range. Leading the Tigers in both categories, her versatility on the court makes her an invaluable asset to their team.

Reese's presence on the court is a credit to the coaching staff, joining an impressive wing group that includes Jasmine Carson (an LSU graduate transfer from Missouri) and Flau'jae Johnson (a McDonald's All-American who transferred last offseason). Freshman Sa'Myah Smith is also making significant plays and adding depth to LSU's frontcourt.

Reese and her fellow starters found success in Hawaii thanks to the chemistry between them and their coach's system. Now, the squad is eager to return to SEC play this weekend, with Reese hoping to improve on her defensive performance as part of a comeback attempt.