LSU's Angel Reese points to her 'status' to explain why she avoided skirmish with South Carolina players
South Carolina won the game but will lose Kamilla Cardoso for the 1st round of the tournament
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The skirmish between LSU and South Carolina women’s basketball players during the SEC Tournament Championship was the talk of the sports world.
Gamecocks center Kamilla Cardoso was seen pushing Tigers guard Flau’jae Johnson to the floor late in the fourth quarter, sparking the pushing and shoving and leading to six ejections. South Carolina won the game to remain undefeated going into the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Angel Reese of the LSU Lady Tigers shoots a basket against Sania Feagin of the South Carolina Gamecocks during the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 10, 2024, in Greenville, South Carolina. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
Basketball fans noted that LSU star Angel Reese wasn’t seen in the skirmish but rather talking to Johnson off the floor, trying to calm her teammate down in the tense moment. Reese explained in a post on X why she didn’t involve herself in the chaotic situation.
"As a person at my STATUS, sometimes you have to walk away from certain situations," Reese wrote on X. "Mind you the play before that I had rolled my ankle AGAIN and was already walking to the bench. I ALWAYS ride for mine. I’m super proud of this team & super excited for march."
Reese made clear after the game that she and her teammates weren’t scared of the Gamecocks.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}LSU forward Angel Reese reacts after the ball went out of bounds during the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament Championship game at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, March 10, 2024. (Ken Ruinard-USA Today Sports via Greenville News)
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"We’re not scared of South Carolina and I’m gonna repeat that," she said, via On3 Sports. "We’re not scared of South Carolina.
"A lot of people are scared of them and we came in and battled and battled and battled until the end. Of course, we came up short, but we’ll see them again or whoever will see them again."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Reese finished the game with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
The benches clear during a player altercation at the Southeastern Conference women's tournament final Sunday, March 10, 2024, in Greenville, South Carolina. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
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The next stop for the Tigers will be the NCAA Tournament. The defending champs will look to be the first team to win back-to-back titles since UConn won four in a row from 2013 to 2016.
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