"No one has sympathy for the villain" - Emmanuel Acho drops outlook on alleged hate against LSU star Angel Reese after Elite Eight defeat

After the LSU Tiger's 94-87 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes on Monday, Angel Reese opened up to the media, alleging she has received hatred and death threats since winning the national championship in 2023. Many fans and sports commentators spoke on the matter, offering their support to the forward.

However, former NFL linebacker and FOX Sport 1 analyst Emmanuel Acho gave a take that was different from the rest. On the show, "Speak," he said:

“I’m about to give a gender-neutral, racially indifferent take. Angel Reese, you can’t be the big bad wolf and then cry like Courage the Cowardly Dog.

"If you want to act grown ... get paid like you grown ... talk to grown folks like you grown ... want to tell people, ‘Get ya money up!' then post-game when you take an L you just gotta take it on the chin."

Acho also referenced Reese's statement before the Iowa matchup, where she said that she was willing to take on the role of the villain. She mentioned her on-court rivalry with her opponents, something she gets a lot of hate for, but clarified that she's friendly with them off it.

"Nobody mourns when the villain catches an L," Acho said. "And Angel Reese, you have self-proclaimed to be the villain ... but you can’t under any circumstance go to the podium and now try to ask individuals to give you sympathy. No one has sympathy for the villain.

"You painted the bullseye on your back. Why are you surprised when people shoot at you? ... Because what frustrated me is when you want to be the villain but you want to hope for sympathy like you’re the hero."

The road ahead for Angel Reese and LSU

Angel Reese has had a brilliant college career that started in Maryland and moved to Baton Rouge where she led the LSU Tigers to the national championship. With the postseason done, Reese must make an important decision about her future.

While she does have the COVID eligibility year, the forward could also declare for the 2024 WNBA draft like Caitlin Clark and Cameron Brink. When asked about her plans, she said:

“I'll make a decision when I'm ready."

Time is not on her side as she has only till Wednesday 10 p.m. (Apr. 3) to make her decision. This is in accordance with the WNBA regulations that state that a player participating in Elite Eight or beyond only has 48 hours after their last game to decide whether they want to declare for the draft.

Reese seemingly hinted at her future plans when she shared an image on her Instagram story with the caption:

“Heavy is the head that wears the crown & that crown is heavy. You never stay down too long. What’s next 10?”

The 2024 WNBA draft is scheduled for Apr. 15 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York and will be broadcast on ESPN in the USA and on TSN1/3/4 in Canada.

Do you think Angel Reese is ready for the WNBA? Let us know in the comment section below.