Bayou Barbie is WNBA bound.
LSU star Angel Reese, who is known for her eyelash extensions, painted fingernails and ferocious play in the paint, formally declared for the WNBA draft on Wednesday. Her announcement comes two days after the Tigers’ season ended with a loss to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Elite Eight round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
Reese, who has expressed an interest in working in fashion and modeling, announced her decision via a photo shoot in Vogue, saying she was inspired by tennis great Serena Williams announcing her retirement in 2022 in a similar manner.
Reese, who publicly had left open the option of returning for another year at LSU, acknowledged having made up her mind to turn pro before March Madness began.
“I’ve done everything I wanted to in college,” said Reese, who also has expressed interest in playing professionally in Europe during the WNBA offseason. “I’ve won a national championship, I’ve gotten (Southeastern Conference) 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.”
Reese, a dynamic, 6-foot-3 forward who can run the floor, guard the perimeter and block shots anywhere, likely will join Clark, the expected No. 1 pick by Indiana, as one of the top players drafted on April 15.
VIRGINIA TECH: Virginia Tech has hired Megan Duffy of Marquette to replace Kenny Brooks as its women’s basketball coach.
Duffy guided the Golden Eagles (23-8) to their second straight NCAA Tournament this season, where the 10th-seed lost to Mississippi, 77-65 in the opening round. She led Marquette to 110-46 record over five years, including a 64-30 record in the Big East.
Duffy has agreed to a six-year contract at Virginia Tech, the school said.
GAMBLING: The men’s Final Four as recently as five years ago received 15 to 20 times the betting action compared to the women at Caesars Sportsbook.
Now?
It’s more of a 2-to-1 ratio, according to Craig Mucklow, Caesars vice president of trading.
“Books have promoted a lot of the women’s game,” Mucklow said. “We push it. We treat the women’s game with the same importance as we treat any NBA game or any men’s Final Four games. We’re all hands on deck. We’re focused on the wagers, the injuries, the news. You’ve got to get the price correct because people follow the game.”
They especially follow Caitlin Clark, who has led Iowa to the Final Four for the second year in a row. She has been the driving force in taking women’s basketball to new heights largely because of her willingness and ability to shoot nearly from the time she crosses midcourt, causing opponents such as LSU’s Hailey Van Lith to throw up her hands in frustration.
BetMGM trading manager Seamus Magee said there is an unmistakable trend in betting on the women’s games closing in on the men’s.
TICKETS: The average price paid for a ticket on the resale market this week was twice as high for the NCAA women’s Final Four compared with that for the men’s semifinals, according to a technology company that analyzes prices across multiple platforms.
The average price of a ticket sold to the women’s semifinals was $2,323; the average sale price for the men’s was $1,001.21, Logitix reported.
The women’s games Friday match Iowa against Connecticut and South Carolina against North Carolina State at 19,432-seat Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. Including data from sales made a month ago and longer, the average price for the women’s semifinals is $1,131.78, compared with $400.29 for the same period in 2023.
The men’s games Saturday pit Purdue against North Carolina State and Connecticut against Alabama at 63,400-seat State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Overall average ticket price for the men’s semifinals is $993.70, compared with $636.43 in 2023.
A ticket to the women’s championship game on Sunday was selling for an average of $1,110.63 this week. The average ticket to the men’s title game Monday was selling for $646.45.
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