Oddsmakers have revealed the Angel Reese-led LSU Tigers as their title favorites ahead of the start of the women’s basketball season next week. The Tigers are +230 favorites on FanDuel and +300 favorites on DraftKings. Just behind LSU is UConn at +500 and +600 on the two sites respectively. Furthermore, LSU and UConn are #1 and #2 in both the AP‘s preseason poll and ESPN‘s preseason bracketology.
The Tigers are also seeking to become the first team since the UConn four-peat to repeat as National Champions. To maximize their chances, head coach Kim Mulkey built a superteam from recruiting and the portal. She has two top-7 freshmen and added Aneesah Morrow from DePaul and Hailey van Lith from Louisville. These additions are a huge reason for the preseason hype surrounding LSU. However, experts have also noted that if the lineup fails to be cohesive, it may spell disaster for the team.
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Meanwhile, 2023-24 is likely to be Reese’s final year at the college level. While she has the option to play a fifth year under the COVID waiver, Reese has previously expressed her desire to take the next step in her career. However, Mulkey recently spoke on Reese’s negative reaction to ESPN projecting her to go eighth in the 2024 WNBA Draft. “That was an insult to her. We talked about the things she needs to work on. Whether she gets picked higher than that or not, it still motivates her. She gets motivated in practice with someone going head-to-head with her or talking trash back at her. She’s a competitor,” Mulkey said.
While Reese could play a fifth year in college thanks to the COVID exemption, she has made it clear that she is ready for the pros. “This is my senior year, and I have the opportunity to declare for the WNBA this year if I choose to. Personally, I aspire to make it to the WNBA. While I do have the option for another year, I do want to get out of college, start life outside of school, and pursue my WNBA dreams. It’s been a challenging but rewarding four years, and I’m excited to continue improving at LSU and beyond,” she told WNBA legend Lisa Leslie for Glamour.
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