$1.7 NIL-valued Angel Reese demands respect from fans after losing against South Carolina in 76-70 showdown: "I'm a DAWG" 

After Angel Reese fouled out of the thrilling game on Thursday against the South Carolina Gamecocks with 4:02 remaining, there was only going to be one result. Dawn Staley's team comfortably won 76-70.

The $1.7 million NIL-valued Reese was her usual influential self while on the court, registering 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in the top-billed matchup. Reese, though, took exception with fans on social media clowning her performance, tweeting for some respect:

"I’m a DAWG. Respect me. This game was on me, but I’m rocking with my girls day in & day out! GEAUX TIGERS!"

Before the game against South Carolina, Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley highlighted the role Reese has played in making college women's basketball more popular with fans.

"I think Angel has brought more eyeballs on our sport with her play, with her personality," Staley said. "I think sometimes you have to put yourself out there in order for us to advance our game, and Angel has done a great job of it."

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Angel Reese gets praise from opposition coach

Angel Reese has been playing out of her skin since her comeback in December. The game against South Carolina was no exception, as she stopped the Gamecocks forwards from dominating the paint.

Even South Carolina coach Dawn Staley acknowledged how influential Reese is to the Tigers, as the game went south after she fouled out, allowing the South Carolina Gamecocks to close out the tense game.

“Angel is a talent. She's aggressive. She's poised. She's very unselfish,” Staley said, via Alexa Philippou of ESPN. “She's mean, she's physical, she is somebody that you want to play with because you know she's going to play to the very end, she's going to give it her all. That's what you lose if you're LSU and she's out of the game for the last four minutes.

“When you lose Angel, you lose a big part of what they do, because she touches the ball and she makes the right decisions.”

Angel Reese is averaging 19.6 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists, shooting 50.2% this season, even after missing quite a few games early on.

She's one of the most influential players on one of the most dominant teams in the country and deserves respect from fans, but her polarizing nature also seems to attract more viewers to the game.