LSU Women's Basketball Stars Talk About Attention After Winning Championship

The trash talk heard around the world has brought a more significant impact on women's basketball than anyone could have probably predicted.

Everyone has now seen the clip of LSU women's basketball star Angel Reese and Iowa's star Caitlin Clark's infamous trash talk moment during the NCAA tournament.

Reese and two of her teammates, Flau'jae Johnson and Alexis Morris, appeared on "The Jennifer Hudson Show" this week to discuss all the attention they've been getting and how they feel it's changed women's basketball.

When Hudson, 41, asked what life's been like since winning the championship, Reese replied, "Life has been crazy."

"I mean, it's great," Reese, 20, continued. "I mean, I love that we won the national championship for Baton Rouge and being able to go home, but we can't go out how we used to go out, even just to the grocery store. We must have security, even going to class and stuff. It's been crazy, but we embrace it. We love the fans and everybody who has embraced and shown us love."

Johnson jumped in to add her thoughts on all the attention, saying it's been "super busy," but it's been good "growing our fan base and then growing women's basketball as a sport."

Morris added it's been overwhelming, but it feels good to be celebrated.

"Not just as basketball players but as young black women doing this on one of the largest platforms," she said. "It's bigger than us."

Hudson said they are "leveling up women's basketball" and are "the faces of it."

Reese explained that she didn't have the thought of winning a championship when she transferred to LSU after two years of college.

"I just wanted a fresh start. I had been in college already for two years, and then coming to LSU one year, I just wanted love and have a coach that was super confident in me and being able to have a coach that was confident in me in one year and to embrace me and be who I am, and I am unapologetically Angel, and that's who I am, They embrace that," she said.

"So I didn't have the thought of winning a championship. I wanted to win a championship, but I just wanted happiness. And then to get all of this, it just topped it off."

Talking about the trash talk moment circulating the internet, Reese said there's no "beef" between her and Clark. She said both are competitive on the court, and trash-talking shouldn't be surprising.

"We're the top of our class, and to see how much we've grown women's basketball in a year, that's what it was for both of us," Reese said.

Johnson added that the trash talk shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. "First of all, Angel is going to be her regardless, and we support that," she said.

During a postgame interview, Reese talked about how some people seemed to perceive the trash-talking in a different light, praising Clark for how she handled it but criticizing her.

"All year, I was critiqued about who I was. I don't fit the narrative. I don't fit in the box you all want me to be in. I'm too hood; I'm too ghetto. You told me that all year. But when other people do it, you all don't say nothing," she said.

"So this is for the girls that look like me and want to speak up on their beliefs. It's unapologetically you. It was bigger than me tonight. I'm happy. I felt I helped grow women's basketball."

All three players are happy to be the role models they are becoming because of their passion.

Reese shared a story about a woman thanking her when she saw her in a store because her daughter doesn't have a voice or the platform that Reese has and "wouldn't be able to speak out on what she believes in, but you did it for us."

Johnson said she understands the impact and plans to continue to use her platform to "keep pushing that."

"Push a positive message, push that affirmation, push that positivity, because now I know it's so many young girls who want to be like me, regardless of their age, regardless of their skin color, regardless of what they want to be like us," she said. "I think that's important to note the impact."

Morris added that she sees young children with her gear on and often has people recognize her when out.

"I feel the impact," she said. "Like Flau'jae said, being that role model and having younger girls look up to us is more important."