I'm Still Human: Angel Reese opens up about season full of criticism, more

Angel Reese leaves it all on the court. She isn't scared to show her passion for the game and express her emotions. Reese is a player that everyone knows about in the women's sports world. But she opened up a bit more than normal to the public eye on Monday night.

Moments after Reese's LSU Tigers lost to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Elite Eight, shattering their repeat season, Reese opened up about how she had really been doing mentally.

When the Tigers defeated the Hawkeyes in the championship game last year, Reese made the 'You can't see me' gesture towards Clark, starting a debate that continued this season about whether the two have issues with one another. Since that moment, Reese has been labeled a villain and dirty player.

Monday night, after what could have been Reeses's last game in a Tigers uniform, she was asked about the discourse throughout the past year. Reese had a hard time responding before giving a telling quote about what she's dealt with as a lightning rod in the limelight.

"I don't really get to stand up for myself," Reese said. "I have great teammates, I have a great support system, I got my hometown, I got my family that stands up for me. I don't really get to speak up on things because I just try to ignore [it], and I just try to stand strong. Like, I've been through so much, I've seen so much, I've been attacked so many times -- death threats, I've been sexualized, I've been threatened, I've been so many things and I've stood strong every single time.

"And I just try to stand strong for my teammates because I don't want them to see me down and not be there for them. So, I just want them to always just know, I'm still human."

Angel Reese gets emotional addressing death threats, more amid rise to fame at LSU

While Reese was struggling with her emotions, her teammates had her back. Both Flau'jae Johnson and Hailey Van Lith showed support for her speaking out about how strong she is.

"Everybody can have their opinion on Angel Reese," Flau'jae Johnson said to the reporters. "But, y'all don't know her. Y'all don't know Angel Reese. I know Angel Reese. I know the real Angel Reese. And the person I see every day is a strong person. She's a caring and loving person."

Reese has spent two seasons at LSU after transferring from Maryland. This season, she averaged 18.7 points and 13.2 rebounds and was the SEC Player of the Year. Her resume is stacked since her time with the Tigers.

While many want to put Reese and Clark up against one another, the reality is that over the last two seasons, the two have helped elevate women sports. They have produced the most-watched women's basketball game of all time, and the two have also shown support to each other since the Elite Eight matchup.

"She just told me continue to be a great player,” Reese said to reporters about what Clark and her talked about after the game. “And I told her continue to be a great player, as well. And keep elevating the game. And go win it."

Reese has proven that she is more than just a basketball player, she is human too.