Ex-LSU Player Reveals How Angel Reese Kept Teammates in Check
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese was ranked the No. 2 recruit in her 2020 high school class, according to ESPN. This was one of the greatest recruiting classes in women's basketball history, as it included Paige Bueckers (No. 1), Cameron Brink (No. 3), Caitlin Clark (No. 4), and Kamilla Cardoso (No. 5), along with other current WNBA players like Aaliyah Edwards, Hailey Van Lith, and Te-Hina Paopao.
However, Reese wasn't well-known within the women's basketball community until she transferred to LSU from Maryland for her junior season. Reese then went on to become a household name during her first season playing for the iconic Kim Mulkey, and skyrocketed into superstardom after her notorious taunting of Caitlin Clark in the final seconds of the 2023 NCAA championship game.
Reese was a key part of LSU capturing the national title that year, as she averaged an impressive 23 points per game to go along with grabbing 15.4 rebounds per contest, which was a sign of things to come when she would enter the WNBA. And all indications were that Reese was one of the team's leaders during that championship season, just as she was during her senior campaign one season later.
Last-Tear Pao Speaks On Angel Reese's Accountability Lessons at LSU
One of Reese's teammates at LSU was Last-Tear Pao, an Australian player who transferred to Arizona State from LSU after the 2024-25 season. Pao was recently interviewed by Bounce Pass AU, and shared several candid sentiment about her time as Reese's teammate.
"I might get a lot of hate for this. But to me, she is one of the reasons — actually, the main reason — why women's basketball changed... Because of how she spoke out about certain situations," Poa said of Reese, per an X post from @ill_name_this_x.
"I loved playing with Angel. Like, I wish I could play with her again," she continued, seemingly holding back some emotion. "She definitely taught me a lot of stuff, a lot of lessons... I've always said the crown is heavy, but she wore that crown to the top."
‼️Angel Reese former teammate speaks on the reality of being her teammate
— Ill name this x later (@ill_name_this_x) November 13, 2025
Via @bouncepassau pic.twitter.com/NZ4gtuuva4
When asked about a lesson Poa gained from playing alongside Reese, Poa later added, "Holding people accountable. That was the one thing I would know for sure: She would hold people accountable. In a game, you stuffed it up, or did something, she'll tell you how it is.
"And I think a lot of girls in my generation, they shy away from that... But with [Reese], she taught me how to be accountable," Poa added.
It's cool to hear Poa speak so highly of Reese as a teammate, which shows how impactful Angel was both on and off the court at LSU.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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