During an unexpected visit to the studio, Jordan Hawkins, the cousin of UConn’s Reese Angel, had a heartwarming reunion with LSU basketball star. The interview was conducted by “GMA3.”
In the previous week, every one of them emerged victorious in their respective NCAA championship matches after the college basketball superstars caught a glimpse of one another for the very first instance.
When Hawkins emerged from backstage, out of sight of his cousin, Reese replied that she had not yet had an opportunity to see him, stated host Gio Benitez.
Reese told Benitez that when she saw her cousin, they grew up playing basketball together, and at family functions and cookouts, they would give each other big hugs and scream with excitement. Then, Reese turned around to surprise her cousin with a big hug on “GMA3”.
Hawkins conveyed his appreciation for his relative, declaring, “I am exceedingly pleased. It is genuinely astounding to observe a member of our family accomplishing something extraordinary. We all partake in this feeling of satisfaction.”
“I’m delighted for him, to witness everything he has accomplished and be so prosperous,” Reese expressed.
In a late victory against the Iowa Hawkeyes, LSU Tigers’ star Caitlin Clark received criticism for making mocking hand gestures. However, she addressed the criticism and spoke about her historic win against the team in an earlier interview with Reese.
GMA3 told Reese, “This year, at gone, we’ve played any or her towards personal nothing was it that. She understood, and Caitlin is a great player. That’s what we do, kind of, that’s why I’m from Baltimore. I’m very passionate about that, and I’m someone who just talks trash.”
Some social media commenters argued that Clark, who largely avoided backlash after making a similar gesture in a previous game, exemplified a double standard and perpetuated negative stereotypes about Black women, in response to the negative comments received by Reese.
Reese stated in a post-game press conference, “I was critiqued all year about who I was. I don’t want to be boxed in, I don’t fit in that box that y’all want me to be in. I’m too ghetto, I’m too hood. But when other people do it, nothing is said. That’s how it looks to me, that’s what they’re going to speak on, what they believe about it unapologetically.”
Clark herself defended Reese in an interview with ESPN earlier this week, saying she doesn’t “think Angel should be criticized at all.”.
Clark continued, “They played an amazing game. I’m a big fan of the entire LSU team and even her. The way she scores the ball and grabs rebounds is absolutely incredible. I love her game, but I have no respect for her. You know Angel is a tremendous player. We all show our emotions in a different way. We’re all competitive, always talking trash, just like men.”
According to ESPN, the LSU-Iowa match was the most-watched NCAA women’s basketball game ever, with 9.9 million viewers.
Leading the Tigers, she achieved the team’s inaugural national championship in her debut season. Merely twelve months ago, she made the move to LSU. Following a Jones fracture in her right foot during her first year, she had surgery. Reese, aged 20, began her college basketball journey in her home state of Maryland with the Terrapins in 2020.
Reese stated that moving away from her residence was the most challenging experience she has ever encountered.
Reese exclaimed, “After a year and a day, here I am, caught in this predicament. It’s truly astonishing how life can transform in just one year.”