Angel Reese Continually Reiterates Not Being As Close To Former LSU BFF Flau’Jae Johnson

Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese dropped the debut episode of her new podcast Unapologetically Angel and addressed several topics, including her love life and experience dealing with Caitlin Clark’s fanbase. One of the more interesting subjects she spoke about was her relationship with LSU star Flau’Jae Johnson, which she admitted isn’t as rosy as it used to be.

The duo were inseparable during their time together in college. However, the distance has affected their relationship and the Sky center told co-host Maya Reese that while there are no ill feelings, they aren’t joined at the hip anymore. The rookie said,

“I still support Falu’Jae. We aren’t as close as we used to be. And there’s no hard feelings or anything but we aren’t as close as we used to be. That’s why people always expect us to like still be posting each other and stuff like that but we aren’t as close.”

Reese’s admission will be a bitter pill to swallow for some fans. The center and Johnson were not only successful on the court but their chemistry off it was endearing. They often appeared on each other’s social media accounts and were entertaining as a duo.

During one of the most difficult moments of Reese’s career, Johnson came to her aid. Following LSU’s loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight round of the 2024 NCAA Championship, the center broke down during the post-game press conference while detailing the vitriol she faced on social media and in person due to her rivalry with Clark.

Johnson, who was seated beside the center, vouched for her friend, saying,

“I know Angel Reese. I know the real Angel Reese. And the person I see every day is a strong person. Is a caring, loving person. Bruh, the crown she wears is heavy, bro. She’s the type of teammate that’s going to make you believe in yourself.”

As incredible as that moment was, in hindsight, it was the beginning of the deterioration of their close bond. While fans believe Reese was only close with Johnson on the LSU roster, the center revealed that wasn’t the case.

Reese talks about another former LSU teammate

On the debut episode of Unapologetically Angel, the 22-year-old star spoke about her relationship with former LSU star Hailey Van Lith, who transferred to LSU in 2023 after a successful two-year stint at Louisville. Reese claimed that she initiated her relationship with the guard and the duo quickly formed a bond,

“We weren’t super close, but I was probably one of the closer people with her on the team. Because I think she was really distant from everybody else. So I kind of felt bad. So, I was like, let me get close to her and see who she is, because she was the only white girl on the team.”

Reese went the extra mile to make Van Lith comfortable during her short time at LSU. After Reese declared for the WNBA draft, the guard transferred to Texas Christian University for, presumably, her final season in college basketball.