‘Now What Was Said?’: Angel Reese Graduates from LSU, Seemingly Claps Back at Former Teammate Flau’jae’s Mom Over 2.0 GPA Shade
The Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese has officially graduated from LSU, and she’s letting all of her doubters know they never should have counted her out.
The young star, whose standout performance during her NCAA basketball career helped propel women’s basketball into the national spotlight, recently celebrated her academic achievement on social media.
“So now what? what was said? oh okay that’s what i thought. I graduated from THE LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY IN 4 YEARS ON TIME. i thought somebody without a college degree said sum,” she captioned alongside a series of graduation photos on social media.
Angel Reese Graduates from LSU, Seemingly Claps Back at Former Teammate Flau’jae’s Mom Over 2.0 GPA Shade (Photo: @angelreese5 / Instagram; @kiajbrooks / Instagram )
The LSU grad earned a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, with concentrations and minors in communication studies, leadership development, and psychology. This milestone is particularly notable given that just months ago Reese faced public scrutiny over allegations that she had a low GPA then. One of her critics was Kia Brooks, the mother of her former teammate and good friend Flau’jae Johnson.
So now what? what was said? oh okay that’s what i thought. I graduated from THE LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY IN 4 YEARS ON TIME I thought somebody without a college degree said sum. pic.twitter.com/2wYQy5jDeb
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) May 18, 2024
Several fans believe Reese’s caption may have been a slight aimed at Brooks.
“They was saying her gpa was too low or sum,” said one Instagram commenter, to which another replied, “Isn’t that what Flaujae mom said though? It’s not like they said it out of no where. I think that’s who she’s talking about.”
A second commenter chimed in, “Yea and they moms was like beefing on the net.”
The commenter is referring to an incident that occurred last fall, early in the LSU season. It appeared that Reese was benched by her coach, Kim Mulkey. The LSU head coach never directly explained the reason for sitting her star player down but stated only that it was a “coach’s decision.” Rumors began to swirl that Reese’s grades may have been a factor.
At some point, it seems Brooks may have addressed the decision privately with Reese’s mother, Angel Webb Reese, as their dispute spilled over onto Instagram.
On Nov. 18, Reese’s mom wrote in her Instagram Story, “Folks, please do not send me long text messages with a bunch of grammatical errors it gives me a headache. How do I know you said what you said if I can’t understand what you’re saying.”
This prompted Brooks to respond with, “You definitely know about grammar errors when your daughter got a 2.0 or less GPA, and in fact when writing your smart message you didn’t capitalize nor did you use any periods,” the New York Post reported.
Adding, “Stop being petty, fake and hateful. And take responsibility for you and your daughters actions. Your just as responsible you raised her that way. Nobody give a damn who you think you are since you came up off another’s brand. Just like God gave it to you he will take right away. Always stay humble and never forget who made you and where you came from!!”
It appears that Reese’s grades were not a problem, as the school granted her the privilege of walking with her cap and gown.
Yet even with her tassel dangling and “Pomp and Circumstance” fresh in her ear, Reese’s petty streak couldn’t resist reminding Brooks about her previous comments on her grades. On Saturday, May 18, Reese re-shared the Nov. 19, 2023, X post made by the Daily Loud that quoted the Rap Game reality star’s mother.
The tweet read, “LSU star basketball player Angel Reese has been suspended…it’s being alleged that’s it due to a low GPA. The speculation began when Angel Reese’s mom and her teammate Flau’jae’s mom started reportedly beefing on social media: ‘You definitely know about grammar errors when your daughter has a 2.0 or less GPA’ – Flau Jae mother on Angel Reese.”
Then, in celebration of her success, Reese reposted a message from her mother to Instagram Story: “For the most part I think I did a good job in ignoring the naysayers when it comes to my children so y’all can keep listening to those folks who do not even know what GPA even stands for let alone have not sniffed a GPA since high school.”
Screenshot Angel Reese Instagram Story. (Photo: @angelreese5 / Instagram)
Continuing, “I hv a college degree as well as my exhusband (my kids father for yall nosy folks) so yeah we both set an example in that regard. Now y’all can find something else to talk about.”
According to Finurah, the Maryland native secured an impressive tally of 17 NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) sponsorship deals in 2023, proving to be a valuable investment for multiple corporations. This achievement places the three-time All-American and SEC Player of the Year fifth overall in the number of NIL deals and ranks her as the second-highest female athlete in deal-making, behind softball player Lauren Burke.
Brands that have partnered with Reese include PlayStation, Tampax, Mielle Organics, JanSport, Sports Illustrated, Calvin Klein, Reebok, Starry, Raising Cane’s, McDonald’s, Coach, Wingstop, Outback Steakhouse, and Amazon, according to On 2 Elite.
While the “Bayou Barbie’s” exact net worth remains unspecified, her NIL value was estimated to be around $1.8 million, according to Total Pro Sports.
NIL deals enable college athletes to capitalize on their personal brand without jeopardizing their amateur status, a significant shift from previous NCAA regulations that barred athletes from profiting from their name, image, and likeness.