LSU's Angel Reese, Flau'jae Johnson Discuss Sweet 16 Showdown Against UCLA

Reese and Johnson dialed in for Saturday, hoping to reach the Elite Eight once again.

Angel Reese and No. 3 LSU are less than 24 hours away from their Sweet 16 matchup with No. 2 UCLA for a chance to punch their ticket to the Elite Eight.

Reese and Flau'jae Johnson met with the media on Friday to breakdown Saturday's showdown against the Bruins.

Here's what the dynamic duo had to say from New York:

Q. Angel, being from Baltimore, I wanted to ask you about what happened with the Key Bridge. Are your people okay? And if you have any thoughts about it?

ANGEL REESE: Yeah, I'm not exactly sure what happened, but I know a ship crashed into the Key Bridge, and that is a bridge that my auntie drives over every day to go to work and we drive over it to get to her house.

So I'm not sure the route she's taking right now or if she's been able to go to work since then, but my prayers are to everyone that hasn't been found yet and the ones that are found and are still suffering from injuries.

I'm praying for Baltimore right now, and I hope everything gets resolved.

Q. Question about the game, the matchup specifically. Lauren Betts obviously a different player from Kamilla Cardoso but they share the height. I wonder what you take out of your matchups with Kamilla that you're going to plan to use her playing against Lauren Betts?

ANGEL REESE: Yeah, both of them are great post players. Luckily I was able to play with Lauren this summer with USA Basketball, so kind of understanding what she brings. She's a really skilled post player.

I think the difference with -- Kamilla is a really great defender, so just being able to understand how I can play 6'7", 6'8", so being able to bring them out of the paint and just use any speed and quickness around them I think is going to be my advantage.

Q. Angel, their ability to pass out of the post, as well, and Flau'jae, Middle Tennessee had great guard play that you had to keep in mind. How much is this team similar, and did that last game prepare you for this?

ANGEL REESE: Yeah, for sure. They have great shooters on the wing, and it's crazy because we're familiar with most of them, Londynn, and Kiki is from my area as well. Played with Charisma as well this summer for USA.

We know these players kind of like the back of our hand and understanding when we can dig in, when we can double the get out on the shooters, as well.

FLAU'JAE JOHNSON: Yeah, I think it's just going to be understanding matchups, shooting percentages, where they shoot from, where they don't. For me, that's going to be a part of my decision making when I'm guarding the post.

We have a good game plan that we're working in, and as long as we execute that, I think we'll be fine.

Q. Angel, this might be a silly question, but facing a big like that who has more size on you, do you get excited? Does it fuel that fire to -- let me show you what I can do?

ANGEL REESE: Yeah, of course people are going to think that I'm not at the advantage, of course, and I'm not going to be as well against bigger players, but I think I've proven myself a lot this year playing against bigger players.

Again, I know my matchup, and I can't just take this one matchup and let it dictate the whole game. Being able to stay out of foul trouble is going to be important, but just knowing my matchup and being able to focus on it but also help my teammates, as well.

Q. Angel, there seem to be more big names in women's college basketball this year than ever before, whether that's because of NIL or whatever. I was wondering as one of those big names, is there somebody other than someone on your team in college basketball that you would pay to see or a player out there that you think has flown under the radar that you think people should be aware of, a name that they may not know?

ANGEL REESE: Dyaisha Fair from Syracuse. Flau'jae just gave me that one. That's crazy. She didn't get a lot of publicity this year. I don't know what was the reason, but scoring was just up there, I think she was third in scoring this year.

FLAU'JAE JOHNSON: Yeah, all time.

ANGEL REESE: All time scoring and she didn't get that for whatever reason, but I think she deserved that and she played amazing this year.

I played with her too this year. We learned with her this summer with USA Basketball as well. She's a great player.

I think the game is growing in a great direction. Being able to be a part of it, being a part of history negative or positive, I'm really happy where we are right now and being able to grow the game. I know we'll look back in 40 years and understand that we were trailblazers.

Q. Angel, you guys lead the nation in terms of getting to the foul line, and you've been able to convert there. Can you talk about how big a factor that game -- of the game that that is for you guys this season, and how that might be a factor against UCLA?

ANGEL REESE: Yeah, we get people in foul trouble as best we can. Our team is aggressive. We drive to the basket a lot and draw fouls as best we can and get to the line. I think that's our advantage.

So being able to do that -- because we do get a lot of rebounds, I think we are second in the country in rebounds -- so getting rebounds and putting it back up and getting fouled and getting and-ones I think that's something we love to do, and Coach emphasizes that a lot in practice.

Q. This is for both players and we can start with Flau'jae. You guys have been here before. You've won the championship. What's harder, winning it last year or trying to get back to it again this year and win it again?

FLAU'JAE JOHNSON: I think this year for us -- for me, I'd probably say Angel, too, I kind of know what it takes. So I think the experience for me makes it easier, but our whole team doesn't have that experience. It's like you're the defending national champs, whatever, but we've got new pieces, and we're just digging deep roots.

I think that our team is just a special team when we all come together. Last year was fun and it was kind of unexpected because we weren't supposed to win, so now we're just trying to build, build, build on that.

Of course we don't want to get home, but we're definitely fighting, and it's exciting for me. I've got anxiety. I'm ready to play.

ANGEL REESE: I would say definitely this year for sure because, like she said, the expectations are higher. We have two players on the team that's never played in the NCAA Tournament, Aneesah and Mikaylah. Understanding experience matters and last year we had much more experience. And last year I just was like, we're winning and winning and winning, I'm like, okay, let's keep going, let's keep going.

Now it's like y'all know we win or we going home. We didn't really have that mindset we're winning, we're winning. But this year of course anybody can beat you, and understanding like everybody wants to beat LSU and understanding those three letters on your chest mean something.

Q. Angel, at this time last year you guys go through that run and your life changes and you become a household name. How has the 365 days since then been? What's the last year been like for you on and off the court?

ANGEL REESE: It's been great. Not everything has been great, but I take it in as a blessing. We were just talking to Holly about how she asked me how I take everything in, how I stay so strong through everything and I just try to stay strong for people that don't. Understanding being an athlete is hard, being a student-athlete is hard, and especially where we are right now where we're household names, we're technically famous, we're celebrities not just in basketball but to everybody in the world.

So just being able to be inspiring, being able to have an impact everywhere we go. People are running and chasing and want autographs. It's been great and it's also a downside of the negative stuff, too. I wouldn't want to be in a negative place right now.

I'm just happy and blessed and just continue to keep praying for better days and great days.

Q. You talked about the experience of last year. Is there one thing in particular that you learned that will be helpful to you this year or that you've passed on to the players who have not been through this before?

FLAU'JAE JOHNSON: Yeah, just letting the game come to you. I think when you do that, you just play it like it's another game. You know it's win or go home, but you try not to put that pressure on yourself.

I try to tell that to Mikaylah, our freshman, our star freshman guard, one of the best in the country may I add. I try to tell her like just play your game. And i had to learn that. I was so nervous last year. I was fumbling the ball, and last year Miami game I was so nervous, turned the ball over.

I just told her like just have fun and play and just let the game come to you. I think that's a part of that poise and that experience, knowing that the game could change on the drop of a dime, so you've just got to play hard.

Q. Flau'jae, we talk about celebrity, so I'm curious about the intentionality with you and your team last year when you were saying yes to some projects more than just a sports drink or just rapping. You also chose Experian, and that seems -- I thought that was an interesting choice. Can you tell me about what was the decision making there? Like I didn't want to just be sports drinks or shoes, I also wanted to do something that was like that?

FLAU'JAE JOHNSON: Absolutely. My NIL deal with Experian is like you get the sports drinks, you've got the shoe deal, but something important is financing and being able to have education behind that. I think a lot of NIL college athletes don't really understand the education behind finances and money and credit and things that we can do.

I always tell people I want these four years to set up my next four because I won't be able to live this again. So me partnering with Experian to educate teens and people in my position about money, about credit. That NIL deal was definitely important for me just to grow my knowledge in finances but also other people in my position.

Q. Those of us that talk to Kim a lot, do you guys ever feel the need to defend her?

FLAU'JAE JOHNSON: Me, that's my coach, and I love Coach Kim. She believed in me when nobody believed in me. When I was in my recruiting process, every school told me you've got to pick music or you've got to pick basketball, but she didn't. She let me be who I wanted to be. She supported me all the way.

I love Coach Mulkey. She always tells us don't defend me, don't defend me, but you kind of get that from a person that really has your back. You want to have their back, too.

ANGEL REESE: Yeah, I feel the same way.