Why Angel Reese seemingly cursed at the UCLA bench after fouling out of LSU's Sweet 16 win
Angel Reese seemingly had a sharp message for UCLA after she fouled out of LSU's Sweet 16 win.
After she fouled out of LSU’s Sweet 16 win over UCLA on Saturday, Tigers forward Angel Reese gave the Bruins bench an earful as she exited the game.
While Reese’s late exit didn’t have much of an impact on the actual outcome of the game, her seemingly fiery message to UCLA’s side of the floor caught attention from those watching.
The video below shows Reese relaying her thoughts toward the UCLA bench, seemingly saying that something, perhaps the call that removed her from the game, was “weak [expletive] [expletive].”
We’re not sure exactly what sparked Reese’s frustration, but it was seemingly enough to warrant this type of response.
Some NSFW language to follow.
— sportsvids99 (@sportsvids991) March 30, 2024
Daily Bruin reporter Gavin Carlson noted that UCLA coach Cori Close actually wanted the technical called on Reese, which video corroborates.
Angel Reese fouls out, then yells something at the #UCLA bench, and Cori Close is upset that a technical foul is not called.
— Gavin Carlson (@GavinCarlsonDB) March 30, 2024
UCLA coach Cari Close loses her mind on the sideline begging Reese to get T'd up pic.twitter.com/wrSgCosm4P
— sportsvids99 (@sportsvids991) March 30, 2024
During the post-game handshake, you can see video of Reese appearing to tell someone in the line on UCLA’s side to watch their mouth as they walked by.
https://t.co/lNi9dlKV5L pic.twitter.com/yD5IrN7Bs9
— Rashard (@_rasharddd) March 30, 2024
Later, Carlson reported on Reese’s perspective. According to the LSU forward, it was a UCLA coach who provoked Reese to seemingly curse in the bench’s direction.
Angel Reese said a different coach, not Cori Close, was "talking crazy" and led to her talking to the UCLA bench on her way off the floor after fouling out late in LSU's Sweet 16 win. When a second question asked for more details, she quickly said "next question"
— Gavin Carlson (@GavinCarlsonDB) March 30, 2024
SBLive Sports reporter Ryan Isley said he saw Kim Mulkey asking folks in the UCLA line what Reese said as she left the court.
Kim Mulkey just asked every UCLA coach "what did she say?" in reference to Angel Reese's trash talk/taunting towards the bench when she fouled out.
— Ryan (@Isley23) March 30, 2024
While Reese and LSU will be advancing to the Elite Eight and UCLA will be headed home, it seems like a real rivalry might be brewing between these two women’s basketball powerhouses.