"Surprised she didn’t rap about it" "Sisterhood right there": Fans divided over LSU star Flau'Jae's opinion on Angel Reese after loss vs. Iowa

The Elite Eight matchup pitting Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes against Angel Reese and the LSU Tigers on Monday ended with Iowa avenging their loss in last year's NCAA Tournament final.

Both teams showed emotion after the game, with Angel Reese of LSU drawing particular attention, including a passionate response from her teammate, Flau'jae Johnson during the post-game press conference. Johnson said about Reese:

"Everybody can have their opinion on Angel Reese. But y'all don't know her. Like, y'all don't know Angel Reese.

"I know Angel Reese. I know the real Angel Reese and the person I see everybody is a strong person. It's a caring and loving person, bro. But the crown she wear is heavy, bro."

In particular, the villain persona that had been bestowed on LSU and Reese, in particular, didn't sit right with Johnson, who said:

"I'm so proud of her, like, the media, y'all, how they like to twist it and call the villain and all that. Y'all don't know Angel, bro."

Johnson's support led Reese to break into tears as emotions overwhelmed her. However, the polarizing duo drew mixed reactions from fans. While some were overjoyed with their camaraderie, others trolled the pair.

One fan took a shot at Johnson's fledging rapping career, claiming her "surprise." Others pointed to the double standard the LSU players were adopting, pointing to their own behavior during victories as examples.

Comments on the caption trolling Angel Reese and Flau'jae Johnson

For some, the viewpoint was the opposite. To them, Johnson's message was a beautiful example of teammates supporting each other.

Fans supporting Angel Reese and Flau'jae Johnson's teammate mentality

However, for others, the reactions toward Reese were justified, especially given her mannerisms during and after games, claiming that "she made herself a villain".

Fans duel about "the villain" moniker for Angel Reese

One fan took to pointing out how harmful social media and the commentary around "celebrities" has become. Instead, he focused on these athletes and their greatness.

Fans call to appreciate the athletes' greatness

For some fans, though, it was an opportunity to hail Caitlin Clark and her greatness. Seeing the emotions on the LSU stars' faces, they claimed that the Hawkeyes superstar's performance made them cry.

Fans claim Caitlin Clark left the duo crying

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Flau'jae Johnson credits Angel Reese for her success

It wasn't just the media critics Flau'jae Johnson wanted to clear the air on. Going a step beyond, the sophomore guard waxed poetic about Reese's leadership, especially the confidence she instilled in her. Johnson said:

"She's the type of teammate that's going to make you believe in yourself. The leap that I took from my freshman to my sophomore year, Angel gave me that confidence to go be a dog.

"Playing next to a dog every day, and you know, just to see how the media ridicule her, went through our problems, but this my sister right here. ... And I'm just happy that I get to play with her. I get to be around her presence, her energy, it's different. She just make me a better player. That's what great players do."

The sophomore guard saw a significant jump in her numbers from Year 1 to Year 2. On both ends of the floor, her game passed the eye test and was evident on the stat sheet.

Increasing her points from 11.0 to 14.7 and her assists average to 2.5, her growth as a defender went from 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks a game to 2.1, while 1.0 blocks was tremendous.

Moreover, her efficiency was the biggest indicator of her growth, becoming a 50.0% shooter, up from 42.4% in her first year. Similarly, her 3-point percentage also increased to 39.5 from 33.0% the previous season.

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The story of the game

In a highly anticipated rematch of last year's NCAA championship, it was the Caitlin Clark show that took over proceedings.

After a tight first half, the teams were tied at 45-apiece, with Clark and Reese leading the way for their respective teams. Clark had 12 points and five assists, while Reese tallied 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists, leading LSU in all three categories.

However, an injury scare in the second quarter led to a scoreless third and most of the fourth quarter, Angel Reese ended the night with 17 points and 20 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Clark, defended by Hailey Van Lith for most of the night, got going in the third quarter, ending with 41 points, seven rebounds and 12 assists in an all-around dominant outing.

With Paige Bueckers dominating in a victory against the USC Trojans and JuJu Watkins, the Final Four matchup between the two National Player of the Year contenders is set for Friday.

Who do you think will walk out the victor? Let's know in the comments section below.