Angel Reese makes promise with win at 2023 ESPY Awards

BY WILL NICKEL @WilNickel

LSU women’s basketball star Angel Reese, known as the “Bayou Barbie,” was recognized at the 2023 ESPY Awards as she won Breakthrough Athlete of the Year.

Reese beat out Iowa women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark, San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy and Seattle Mariners’ Julio Rodriguez to the award.

However, an ESPY wasn’t the only prize Reese had her eyes on. During her acceptance speech for the award, Reese promised LSU fans another national championship.

“Last year I transferred from the University of Maryland to play at LSU, and I just joined a family,” Reese said. “So I just want to say thank you, and another natty is coming, period.”

Reese’s first season at LSU was one for the history books as she set the NCAA single-season record for most double-doubles with 34. She averaged 23 points and 15 rebounds per game on her way to helping LSU win its first national championship in basketball.

“I’ll go down in history for doing what I did, and our team will for winning. I’m happy we were able to do that for Louisiana,” Reese said.

Reese’s and LSU’s breakout season and NCAA Tournament run, led by head coach Kim Mulkey, caught national media attention like women’s basketball has never before.

LSU’s matchup with Iowa averaged 9.92 million viewers and peaked at 12.6 million viewers, according to ESPN. It was the most watched women’s college basketball game ever and had more than double the previous year’s championship viewership.

The previous viewership record for a women’s college basketball national championship was in 2002 with 5.7 million viewers.

The award has been given out every year since 1993, except for 2020, due to the pandemic. Former Breakthrough Athlete winners include Colin Kaepernick, Dak Prescott, Lebron James, Tom Brady, Tiger Woods and LaMelo Ball.

Reese is the second woman in a row to win the award after skier Eileen Gu won it in 2022. She is one of only three women to win the award.

LSU women’s basketball was also nominated for Team of the Year, but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.