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LSU’s Angel Reese Receives Support After Trolls Slam Her ‘My Status’ Post for Walking Away After Her Teammate Flau’jae Johnson Was Shoved to the Floor By 6-foot-7 Opponent

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College basketball player Angel Reese was targeted by social media haters after she refused to participate in the Louisiana State University and University of South Carolina fight during the 2024 SEC Women’s Tournament championship game on Sunday, March 10.

Emotions were high, resulting in six players being ejected from the game as a result of the scuffle. Fans believed she should have possibly been one of the girls in the fisticuffs, particularly since her teammate Flau’jae Johnson was at the center of the melee.

Angel Reese (L) stands on business about her "My Status" post following criticism about her not helping Flau'jae Johnson (R) during SEC championship game fight.
Angel Reese (L) stands on business about her “My Status” post following criticism about her not helping Flau’jae Johnson (R) during SEC championship game fight. (Photo: @angelreese10/Instagram)

Flau’jae had the ball during the fourth quarter, but it was stolen by South Carolina guard, MiLaysia Fulwiley. In response to being stripped, the 20-year-old Georgia native grabbed Fulwiley to slow her down on what appeared to be a breakaway, committing a foul.

As a result, the rapper-turned-athlete was sent to the bench, but not before she bumped South Carolina’s Ashlyn Watkins, a girl similar to Johnson’s 5-foot-10 stature.

South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso saw the bump and intervened, pushing Johnson to the ground.

The arena erupted as students from both sides rushed onto the court to support or defend their friend. Among them was Flau’jae’s brother Trayron Lenorris Milton, who, despite not being a student, leaped over the barrier and jumped over the scorer’s table to reach the court and protect his sister.

The brother was later arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, as well as third-degree assault and battery, according to the Greenville County inmate search. Milton was granted a $1,087.50 cash bond.

After the altercation, Cardoso was removed from the game. Additionally, five other players were ejected for leaving the bench area. These players included South Carolina’s Chloe Kitts, Tessa Johnson, and Sakima Walker, as well as LSU’s Aalyah Del Rosario and Janae Kent.

The headline-grabbing fracas spilled over to social media with people asking why Reese had not rushed the court to defend Flau’jae during the fracas. The baller said on Monday, March 11, a day later, she chose not to join because of her status.

“As a person at my STATUS, sometimes you have to walk away from certain situations,” the LSU star tweeted.

Adding, “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. #geauxtigers.” 

One person wrote under her post, “Not standing on business.”

Another said, “Bruh cmon now u we’re yanking hair on the court now u wanna say you humble to walk away from a fight that started away from you.”

A separate video shows Reese on camera pulling the hair of another South Carolina player during the game.

Reese became a public figure in the college basketball world after defeating Iowa in the 2023 NCAA championship game. The LSU player is also remembered for waving her hand to the face of Iowa player Caitlin Clark and pointing to her ring finger, where her championship ring would soon be placed. She’s secured over a dozen NIL deals since, becoming the second-highest deal-making female athlete behind softball player Lauren Burke. 

Therefore, some people understood exactly where Reese’s decision not to jeopardize herself in the aftermath.

“I’m glad you walked away and didn’t engage in any of the mess. Way to be the bigger person and choosing to take the high road. Im a South Carolina fan but I am a huge fan of yours,” one person said on X.

“Making a statement is fine, but you don’t owe us an explanation. We don’t doubt your loyalty or your spirit. Just rise above all of it and keep hooping hard,” another tweeted.

Despite walking away from the fight, Reese did connect with Flau’jae on the sidelines, according to footage of Reese speaking to Johnson and then hugging her just before LSU women’s assistant basketball coach Gary Redus II walked up.

During a post-game press conference, LSU head coach Kim Mulkey commented on the altercation, stating that 6-foot-7 Cardoso didn’t have to get into the fight, especially by pushing 5-foot-10 Johnson as hard as she did.

“It’s ugly. It’s not good. No one wants to be a part of that. No one wants to see that ugliness. But I can tell you this: I wish she would have pushed Angel Reese. Don’t push a kid.”

“Don’t push somebody that little,” she added. “That was uncalled for in my opinion. Let those two girls that were jawing, let them go at it.”

Many did not like the coach’s comments.

“I totally get the ‘pick on someone your own size’ thing. But something about this white woman wanting to put Angel in a bad situation doesn’t sit right with me. It’s given Mr Candy from Django. Letting his best ‘mandingo fighters’ fight to the death,” one person wrote, adding, “Ok. I may be reaching a little…but that’s just where my mind went. Glad Angel stayed tf out of it.”

Dawn Staley, the coach for South Carolina, also addressed the fight, but her remarks had a different tone.

“I haven’t been to the locker room yet, but I mean Kamilla understands. She really understands,” the Philadelphia native said. “I think if you talk to Kamilla about things, she’d probably say she let her emotions get the best of her, and she’s got to handle them better.

“She’s got to be better. She’s that important to our team, that important to the state of women’s basketball. Kamilla’s a star, and we just really can’t have her in a position where she’s in the locker room for anything other than halftime in the basketball games,” Staley continued.

Addressing Johnson directly, “She just apologized and said she’s not that type of player. And I really appreciate that, just something that somebody won’t ever hear if I didn’t say anything. And she’s not,” said Staley. “She’s a really good person. Things just got escalated. I’ll take responsibility for what happened from our side of it.”

Because she was ejected from the game for fighting, Cardoso will be suspended from the Lady Gamecocks’ next game, which will come in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Tournament. Like her coach said, the Brazilian center did believe that she was operating out of character.

“I would like to extend my sincerest apologies for my actions during today’s game,” Cardoso tweeted, assuring the league, division, and fans, “My behavior was not representative of who I am as a person or the South Carolina program, and I deeply regret any discomfort or inconvenience it may have caused.”

Cardosa says she takes “full responsibility” for her actions and said she is “committed to conducting” herself “with the utmost respect and sportsmanship in the future.”

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