"I talk trash": Angel Reese gives unabashed answer on what makes people root for her

Angel Reese, after failing to lead the LSU Tigers to a title-retention bid in the NCAA women’s tournament, took her talents to pro basketball. The Chicago Sky obliged her by making her the seventh pick in the WNBA 2024 draft. She will be teaming up with former rival Kamilla Cardoso, who was grabbed by the Sky at No. 3.

Out of the two highly-touted rookies, Reese is hands down the most popular considering her Sky jersey was promptly sold out. Her rivalry with Caitlin Clark, picked first by the Indiana Fever, back in college is likely one of the reasons Reese is sought after.

Previously known as the “Bayou Barbie” while still playing for LSU, Angel Reese changed her nickname to “Chi Barbie.” The move only endeared her more to fans, making her popularity rise to another level. Reese, though, has a different answer about why people root for her.

Here's what she had to say in an interview with NBC’s Mark Berman:

"I talk trash, and I just have a winning mentality. Every single day, I want to win everything."

Angel Reese was known to talk trash even when she was still playing for Maryland in the first two years of her collegiate hoops career. However, it was in the 2023 NCAA championship game against Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes that that part of her game exploded on the national scene.

LSU’s star player at that time trolled Clark by doing John Cena’s “You Can’t See Me” move on her. And later in the game when the Tigers were about to clinch the title, she faced the former Hawkeye and pointed to her ringer.

Angel Reese was ripped by some on social media for her action in the game, but she was unapologetic about it. Several athletes defended her action, pointing out that Clark didn’t get such vitriol when she did the John Cena move earlier in the tournament.

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Angel Reese once talked trash to a UCLA coach

Angel Reese’s trash talk isn’t limited to opposing players on the court. It can extend to the bench if she deems the situation to be necessary. She did exactly that during LSU's win over UCLA in the Sweet 16.

After she fouled out with about 30 seconds left in the game, she passed by the Bruins’ bench and must have said something. UCLA coach Cori Close was furious and talked for several minutes to an official, likely about what Reese had said.

When the game was over and both teams met to shake hands, Angel Reese told an assistant coach from UCLA to “watch your mouth.”

Reese is unabashedly in herself and will become a fan favorite in Chicago. She is also likely to get the opposite when on the road, a situation she will likely embrace with gusto.