The dynamic duo of the SEC Bayou Barbie and the Freshman of the Year have been a force. Angel Reese and Flau’Jae Johnson have blown fans away and stolen the show with their talent and off-court presence. After spending two seasons at Maryland, Reese transferred and quickly has the country tuning in.
Photo Cred: Andscape
Reese currently leads the SEC in points and rebounds, averaging 23.7 points per game and 16 rebounds. Angel Reese achieved a double-double consecutively during the first 23 games of the season. Reese also set the conference record for winning seven players of the week awards this year alone.
Photo Cred: New York Times
Many first witnessed the young girl with big dreams from Savannah, GA in season 13 of America’s Got Talent. According to ESPN, Johnson is the No 26 player and No 6. guard in the country. Johnson was a three-time SEC player of the week this season. She eventually won SEC Freshman of the Year. Flau’Jae also made an impact by averaging 11.6 points per game and 5.9 rebounds. Fans are not only attracted to the talents of these two Tigers. They are role- models to many. Reese has gone viral on TikTok and on ESPN. One of her recent tweets was posted to the shade room and had the world buzzing.
Photo Cred: Players Tribune
In a tweet on Jan 20, Reese said, “I’m too hood, I’m too ghetto. I do not fit the narrative, and I’M OKAY WITH THAT. I’m from Baltimore, where you hoop outside and talk trash. If it were a boy, nobody would say anything at all. Let’s normalize showing passion for the game instead of it being embarrassing.” It was shared by millions and fueled an online debate surrounding the double standards among female athletes expressing their passion for the game.
Nicknamed “The Big 4,” Flau’Jae Johnson is a threat on and off the court. Not only is Johnson a basketball star, but she is also an aspiring lyricist. In 2022, Johnson signed to Jay-Z’s RocNation label with a distribution deal. Johnson chose to pursue a rap career to continue following in her father’s footsteps. The daughter of the late Camouflage, Johnson is focused on capitalizing on her talents in music and basketball and simply making her father proud.
