Bayou Barbie got the VIP treatment at the Pelicans-Magic game on Wednesday.
LSU All-American forward Angel Reese sat courtside at Smoothie King Center with Lady Tigers forward Amani Bartlett — hours after she declared for the 2024 WNBA draft with a photoshoot in Vogue.
Reese, who is cousins with Pelicans guard Jordan Hawkins, made the decision after LSU’s season-ending loss to Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Women’s Tournament on Monday.
The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model and Barlett, an LSU reserve player, smiled and waved when they were featured on the Jumbotron ahead of Orlando’s 117-108 win over New Orleans.
They were also featured on the WNBA and Pelicans Instagram accounts.
Reese sported a white Balenciaga sweatshirt and multi-colored Reebok sneakers — she became the fitness brand’s first longterm NIL athlete in Oct. 2023 — and rocked her curly hair and signature long lashes.
Barlett donned Chanel sneakers and accessorized with black tinted sunglasses.
The former LSU teammates also — who won a National Championship together, when LSU beat Iowa in last year’s NCAA women’s title game — were also seen chatting with Swin Cash, a three-time WNBA champion who is currently vice president of basketball operations and team development for the New Orleans Pelicans.
Cash defended Reese earlier this week when the 2023-24 SEC Player of the Year cried during a postgame press conference after LSU’s season-ending loss.
“This world can be cruel at times @Reese10Angel but you are loved & supported by many you’ve never met!” Cash wrote in a post on X early Tuesday. “You’ve got prayer warriors standing in the gap for you love. Chin up, Crown Straighten and know this too shall pass! Greater is he that is me.”
It came after Reese explained to reporters how she’s dealt with national scrutiny since she led LSU to its first-ever women’s national title — and said she’s been sexualized, attacked and received death threats.
The 21-year-old Reese rose to fame after the 2023 title game and became one of the top NIL earners with a current evaluation of $1.8 million, according to On3.
Reese recorded 17 points and 20 rebounds in 36 minutes before she fouled out with just less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter of Monday’s loss.
The Baltimore native nearly broke the internet Wednesday when she announced her plans to take her talents to the league with a fashion shoot in Vogue.
Myles Loftin / Vogue
Myles Loftin / Vogue
“I think it’s my time to move on and grow,” Reese said in a behind-the-scenes video with Vogue. “It’s a very competitive league and I’m excited to just learn, grow and try to dominate as much as I can as a rookie.”
Reese shared her decision with the magazine in mid-March, when the interview was conducted via Zoom from her off-campus apartment in Baton Rouge.
“Of course, I like to do everything big,” Reese said of her decision to announce the news with a fashion photo shoot with Vogue. “I didn’t want anything to be basic.”
Reese went on to explain why she’s ready for the pros.
“I’ve done everything I wanted to in college. I’ve won a national championship, I’ve gotten [Southeastern Conference] Player of the Year [in the 2023-24 season], I’ve been an All-American.”
Reese is projected to be a top-10 pick in the draft, which will take place on April 15 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, where fans can attend the WNBA draft for the first time.
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