"Kicked my butt" - LSU male player makes honest confession on guarding Angel Reese

Angel Reese was a force to be reckoned with during her college years at LSU. Even male players had a tough time defending her. Baker Smith, a member of the LSU women’s basketball practice team, experienced Reese’s dominance firsthand.

On Thursday, Isabel Gonzalez of CBS Sports posted a video clip of Smith recounting his first LSU practice and going against Reese.

“I remember my first practice. I got, I walked out and I'm guarding Angel Reese and she said ‘are you big enough to guard me?’ And I didn't think I was and I was not. SEC Player of the Year. So she kind of kicked my butt, but it's all fun,” Smith recollected.

Smith, a junior majoring in civil engineering, didn’t specify when the exchange with Reese occurred. However, his mention of her being the “SEC Player of the Year” suggests the moment likely took place during the 2023–2024 season, which was her senior year.

Reese averaged 18.6 points and 13.4 rebounds that season, which were both down from the previous year. But those numbers were still enough for the forward to be named 2024 SEC Player of the Year.

Angel Reese supports Maryland in the NCAA March Madness

Despite playing her final two seasons of college with the LSU Tigers, Angel Reese was recently spotted at the Maryland Terrapins vs. Florida Gators NCAA Men's Tournament matchup at the Chase Center in San Francisco. She was there to support her brother, Julian Reese, who plays for the Terps.

Julian, a senior, put up a solid all-around performance with 12 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. However, his efforts weren’t enough as they fell to the Gators in an 89-71 loss.

The TV cameras showed Angel not looking too pleased in the stands as Maryland trailed by 16 points late in the second half.

Angel Reese began her college career with the Terrapins. After a decent freshman season (10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds per game), she made a significant leap in her sophomore season, averaging a double-double (17.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game) before transferring to LSU.