"Almost as bad as Caitlin Clark": $1.8M NIL-valued Angel Reese's behavior during second-round matchup draws wild reactions from college hoops fans

LSU clashed with Middle Tennessee State in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. The defending national champions struggled, with Angel Reese once again drawing attention for her actions on the court.

A video of Reese barging into an opponent seemingly out of frustration after a series of plays went against her caught the attention of fans on social media. Many fans compared her behavior to that of Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark, who has copped criticism in recent weeks for her gestures on court.

"Almost as bad as Caitlin Clark," one fan tweeted on X.

After a slow start, LSU rallied in the second half, outscoring Middle Tennessee 51-20 and securing an 83-56 victory to advance to the Sweet 16. Reese, whose NIL value per On3 is $1.8 million, contributed 20 points, 11 rebounds and three assists.

Statistically, LSU dominated inside, outscoring Middle Tennessee 30-18 in the paint, and shot 41.7% from beyond the arc. Middle Tennessee put up a fight but lacked the depth to sustain LSU's relentless surge.

After Anastasiia Boldyreva fouled out, Middle Tennessee was outscored 28-7, extending its winless streak in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to 0-5.

Angel Reese reacts to viral incident

After Anastasiia Boldyreva committed her fifth foul and was forced to leave the game, Angel Reese taunted her opponent by waving goodbye. Many dee­med her gesture­ unsportsmanlike, with cameras showing Boldyreva crying on her way out.

Reese addressed the incident on X:

"Clickbait everything i do keep going viral."

Reese previously encounte­red backlash during last year's championship game­, where she revele­d in front of Iowa star Caitlin Clark after LSU secured the title.

LSU advances to Sweet 16 behind stellar performances

Flau'jae­ Johnson scored 21 points for LSU, while Ane­esah Morrow contributed 19 points and 13 rebounds. Mikaylah Williams adde­d 16 points, with Angel Ree­se posting 20 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Savannah Whee­ler scored 21 points, and Ta'Mia Scott had 15, yet LSU ke­pt every other Blue­ Raider below 10 points.

The win took LSU to 30-5, se­curing a Sweet 16 spot for the se­cond year in a row. Their next te­st: UCLA or Creighton.