The LSU basketball star details the harassment and threats she has endured since winning the NCAA Women’s Championship in 2023.

Photo: Sarah Stier (Getty Images)

LSU basketball star Angel Reese has been a polarizing figure since she led her team to win the NCAA Women’s Championship in 2023. She plays with the same exceptional talent, trash talking swag and cockiness as her male counterparts, so there’s no reason for her to receive so much hate. And yet, we know probably already know why she’s criticized so harshly.

It’s no secret that this isn’t a world that appreciates smart, confident Black women, but lately the harassment and hate has gotten out of control. Don’t believe me, just look at the reaction to Beyoncé putting out a country album. All Reese did was be a spectacular basketball player who’s proud of how good she is.

Following LSU’s 94-87 loss to Iowa in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament on Monday, she spoke about the pressure and attacks she’s faced since LSU’s championship win over Iowa last season.

“I’ve been through so much,” Reese said. “I’ve seen so much. I’ve been attacked so many times, death threats, I’ve been sexualized, I’ve been threatened, I’ve been so many things, and I’ve stood strong every single time.”

Angel Reese on online abuse: ‘I’m still a human’ | ESPN College Basketball

We know people like to take their sports seriously, but if you’re sending a college kid death threats over a basketball game, you need to rethink all your life choices. Sadly, most of these threats probably aren’t related to sports, but my point still stands. All these haters who can’t fathom a world where Black women refuse to stand aside and let mediocre men have the spotlight need to get over themselves and realize we’re not letting them just fail upwards anymore.

Just because you know you can’t play ball better than Angel doesn’t mean you get to attack her character. She shouldn’t have to remind you that she’s human. Even though she’s just 21-years-old, the basketball star displayed a wisdom beyond her years by knowing exactly who she is and refusing to apologize for that.

“All this has happened since I won the national championship,” she said. “And it sucks, but I still wouldn’t change anything, and I would still sit here and say I’m unapologetically me. I’m going to always leave that mark and be who I am and stand on that.”

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Times columnist Ben Bolch issued an apology on Monday for a controversial story he wrote on LSU’s matchup against UCLA. He referred to LSU as “dirty debutantes” and “villains.” The offensive language has since been removed from the piece, with Bolch writing in his apology, “I have failed miserably in my choice of words.”

A LONG OVERDUE APOLOGY: pic.twitter.com/lgZkCt21Ft

— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) April 1, 2024

“In my column previewing the LSU-UCLA women’s basketball game, I tried to be clever in my phrasing about one team’s attitude, using alliteration while not understanding the deeply offensive connotation or associations,” Bolch wrote. “I also used metaphors that were not appropriate. Our society has had to deal with so many layers of misogyny, racism and negativity that I can now see why the words I used were wrong. It was not my intent to be hurtful, but I now understand that I terribly missed the mark.”

He continued, “UCLA, a school I have covered for nearly a decade, champions diversity and is known as a leader in inclusivity. However, I have not upheld that standard in what I wrote and I will do much better. I am deeply sorry.”