Star LSU basketball player Angel Reese got the chance to go home on Wednesday as she and her team showed up to Baltimore to face off against Coppin State.
Reese and LSU, the defending national champion, took care of Coppin State 80-48. The Physical Education Complex had 4,100 fans in attendance for the game.
Angel Reese, who started her career at nearby Maryland, put on a show with 25 points, six rebounds, and five steals.
After the game, Reese answered questions from a room full of reporters. Here’s what she had to say:
“A lot of people came out and I know they were supporting Coppin, but being able to come into a historically black college – my aunt went here, my cousin went here – so coming back here and doing a lot for this community and then being able to see opportunity where they can be a lot of little girls knowing they can have this opportunity was something that was important to me.”
Angel Reese on her impact Impact on young girls
“I’m at a point where I have stretched a lot of these little girls minds and little boys minds where they know that they can be in this position one day. And me being able to be a leader and being able to be somebody that they look up to is something that I’ve kind of embraced. And being from Baltimore, like you guys know, I mean, I know I have a great representation not just in Baltimore, but in the world. So coming back here, I love it. This is my home. First, I’m the Baltimore Barbie before I’m the Bayou Barbie.”
Playing at Coppin State
“Walking in here felt completely different than the first time coming here. Actually, in high school I never played here. So my sophomore year I remember the first time I came here, there weren’t that many fans here, but then coming into the night, just being able to see my impact and being able to see how much so much has changed and understanding my impact in this world. Baltimore has meant everything to me.”
Playing at an HBCU
“I mean, honestly, I would have loved to go to a HBCU. Having the resources and opportunities, they don’t. They’re not the same, of course, but one day being able to give back to a community like this and being able to…we came here, we had to pay them to play us. So being able to do that, of course, I mean, I remember my experience playing against Poly (High School) at Morgan was just like this and being able to have the whole city coming out and so many people coming out tonight and supporting us. It’s just been amazing for me.”
Taking time to herself
“Mental health is the most important thing in being able to put yourself first. That’s something I had to learn. Take some time off social media. I mean, I have 3 million followers on almost all my account, so it’s kind of hard sometimes. And at the end of the day, I’m a human before I’m a student-athlete and being able to just to cope and being able to just to take some time to myself and being able to just focus on me and have the people around me that really, really love me has just always been something that’s really important.”
Getting her flowers as a senior
“I mean, I feel like I got my flowers. When they announced that we were coming here, being able to see so many people come to Baltimore and being able to see so many people come to Coppin and being able to have it sold out and then supporting did not just copy State for LSU. Of course, I had a standing ovation as soon as I walked in the building. So many people love to see me. I don’t get to come home much, but this part was really was special to me and it was my homecoming. So I’m just really happy to be here.”