This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.
Goooood morning, folks! Welcome back to the Morning Win! Thank you so much for being here with us this morning. We appreciate you taking the time.
Last night’s instant classic between Iowa and LSU might’ve been the last time we see Angel Reese suit up for the Tigers. She has a big decision to make — is she returning for another season at LSU or is her future with the WNBA?
She’ll figure that out in due time. When she does, we’ll know it. But for right now, I want to give her so many flowers for how incredible she’s been through it all.
So many incredible hoopers and their stories were but on the backburner in the year of Caitlin Clark. Reese might be chief among them. She’s been an amazing ambassador for women’s basketball through it all. Not perfect, of course. But always visible. And always being herself, authentically, through both the good and bad.
It hasn’t been the most fun ride. Let her tell it: The year she’s had since winning a national championship in 2023 has been awful. Follow the news stories, and you can see why.
At the start of the season, LSU loses to Colorado and the vultures begin circling. Then you’ve got Reese’s mysterious suspension that we still don’t know much about. That didn’t stop people from speculating — we heard rumors about everything from something as minuscule as a low GPA to something more soap opera-y like beef with teammates and their parents.
That time was awful. It felt so gross. And it wore on her. Her words from her press conference after the Iowa loss paint that picture for us. She felt the need to remind us of her humanity. Think about how that feels at 21 years old. She spilled her heart out in that presser:
“I’ve been through so much; I’ve seen so much. I’ve been attacked so many times. Death threats, I’ve been sexualized, I’ve been threatened. I’ve been so many things, and I’ve stood strong every single time, and I just try to stand strong for my teammates because I don’t want them to see me down and, like, not be there for them. So, I just want them to always just now, like, I’m still a human.”
READ MORE: A teary-eyed Angel Reese reminds us all of her humanity
That’s a lot. But you can understand why she feels that way with all that she’s been through.
But that’s the thing, man. That’s why, to me, Reese is so admirable. Through it all, she’s never backed down. She’s never stopped talking. She’s never stopped playing. She never quit. She’s always been the same Angel Reese we’ve come to know, respect and love. That’s the best part about her.
No matter what happens next for Reese, she’ll always be one of the best ambassadors college basketball has ever seen. And I’m so thankful we get to watch her.
RELATED: Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark share a classy moment after the Iowa vs. LSU showdown
Up next: Caitlin vs. Paige
Folks, the moment has arrived. Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, and part two. I cannot wait. They haven’t played against each other since 2021, when they met in the Sweet 16.
Honestly, it’s looking back on that moment is funny. Bueckers’ and Clark’s dispositions have flipped since then.
Clark was an incredible talent back then, too. But Bueckers was regarded as the best player in college basketball as a freshman. Watching that game, you can see why. She didn’t even give her best but still nearly came away with a triple-double on a stacked UConn team.
Today? Clark is a living legend. She’s the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer and a player who some think is the best player they’ve ever seen. Because of injuries, Bueckers has moved to the back burner. It’s been an out-of-sight-out-of-mind thing. She went 720 days between playing in tournament games.
Don’t let that fool you, though. Paige is still nice. Dawn Staley thinks she’s the most elite talent in the game today. I can’t disagree with her.
Friday can’t come soon enough.
Tiger? Is that you?
There’s a chance that Tiger Woods just might be playing in the Masters this year, folks. At least, according to the internet sleuths out there, anyway.
Here’s our Charles Curtis with more:
“Here’s what we do know: Per those who track his private jets, Woods took a plane to Augusta earlier this week, presumably to start ramping up his practice for the tournament next week, which is the first major of the PGA Tour season.
Which means that until you see absolutely official word from the actual PGA Tour or Tiger himself, assume that he’ll be teeing it up next week.”
Please, Golf Overlords. Let this happen.
READ MORE: What we know so far about Tiger Woods playing in the 2024 Masters.
Quick hits: RIP Vontae Davis … The reverse Jordan shrug … and more
— Rest in Peace Vontae Davis. Here’s more on the former NFL corner’s tragic death from Robert Zeglinski.
— You know how Michael Jordan once shrugged after hitting a bunch of 3s? Caitlin Clark was so good she made her opponents shrug for her. Here’s Cory with more.
— Tyrese Haliburton calling Buddy Hield to brag about a dunk during his press conference is the best. Bryan Kalbrosky has more.
— Robert Zeglinski has two best friends at the top of his NBA MVP ladder this week.
— Paige Bueckers classily consoling Juju Watkins after UConn beat USC is what the tourney is all about. Here’s Charles Curtis with more.
— Christian D’Andrea ranked all 43 Wrestlemania events from worst to best here.
That’s a wrap for today, folks! I’ll be out tomorrow, so I’ll chat with you again on Thursday. Until then! Peace. Thank you so much for reading TMW.
-Sykes ✌️