BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU star Angel Reese is heading to the WNBA.
Reese, nicknamed “Bayou Barbie,” formally declared for the WNBA draft less than two days after LSU’s loss in the Elite Eight round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
Reese made her announcement Wednesday via a social media post, saying she was inspired by tennis great Serena Williams retiring in similar fashion in 2022. Reese acknowledged having made her decision to turn pro before March Madness began.
“Of course, I like to do everything big,” Reese told Sports Illustrated. “I didn’t want anything to be basic.”
“I’ve done everything I wanted to in college,” Reese added. “I’ve won a national championship, I’ve gotten (Southeastern Conference) Player of the Year, I’ve been an All-American. My ultimate goal is to be a pro — and to be one of the greatest basketball players to play, ever. I feel like I’m ready.”
Reese likely will join Aaliyah Boston, the expected No. 1 pick by Indiana, as one of the top players drafted on April 15.
