Angel Reese has declared for the 2024 WNBA Draft.
The LSU star shared her plans with Vogue to enter the WNBA — a move that was inspired by Serena Williams when the tennis legend announced her retirement via the same outlet in 2022, Reese admitted. She made the decision prior to the NCAA Tournament, but the news was released on Wednesday following LSU's elimination.
“Of course, I like to do everything big,” she said.
But on Reese’s decision to move on to the professional stage, she says she is up for the challenge. The 21-year-old senior has one year of NCAA eligibility remaining due to COVID-19 modifications, but she elected to forgo her fifth year at LSU.
“I’ve done everything I wanted to in college,” Reese said. “I’ve won a national championship, I’ve gotten [SEC] Player of the Year, I’ve been an All-American. My ultimate goal is to be a pro — and to be one of the greatest basketball players to play, ever. I feel like I'm ready.”
In Reese’s last game as an amateur, the Tigers fell to Iowa in the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA Tournament to close out her extraordinary collegiate career. But that hasn't cast a shadow on her confidence to pursue the WNBA.
The 6-foot-3 forward quickly garnered attention after transferring to LSU to play under coach Kim Mulkey after two seasons at the University of Maryland. Reese quickly became one of the highest NIL earners, signing deals with brands including Beats by Dre, Goldman Sachs, Amazon and more.
Reese rose to stardom in 2023 when she led the Tigers to win the national championship, a school first.
WNBA mock drafts have Reese projected to be one of the top picks in the 2024 draft, going seventh overall to the Minnesota Lynx in recent mock drafts by ESPN and CBS Sports.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. >Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
The 2024 WNBA Draft will be held on April 15.
