The LSU Tigers Women’s Basketball team has garnered quite the following in recent years thanks to rising star Angel Reese. But now that the team is out of the NCAA Tournament, Reese has a big decision to make on her future.
Reese, along with LSU teammate Hailey Van Lith are both eligible to enter the 2024 WNBA Draft and start their professional careers should they choose to do so.
However, the rise of NIL deals in collegiate sports has made it possible for top college players to stay in college and make quite a bit of money doing so. And according to former NFL star Dez Bryant, this may be the smart move for Reese and Van Lith to do, particularly because women’s college basketball is quickly garnering a bigger and bigger following.
“They should stay and enjoy college,” tweeted Bryant. “I think the world enjoy watching college girls hoops more than the WNBA, respectfully.”
They should stay and enjoy college
I think the world enjoy watching college girls hoops more than the wnba
Respectfully https://t.co/i0cEc12GVl
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) April 2, 2024
Bryant of course didn’t have the luxury of NIL deals when he was playing his college ball at Oklahoma State from 2007-2009. But he also had the luxury of a massive NFL contract that awaited him when he did go pro.
Reese and Van Lith don’t exactly have that luxury at their disposal. And as Bryant said, their fame could only rise by staying at the college game for as long as they can.
Who knows, maybe both will receive similar kinds of popularity in the WNBA. But it is also seemingly possible that they are lost in the shuffle around the rest of the WNBA talent that aren’t exactly hugely marketable players.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.