Breaking News: Angel Reese HUMBLED After LSU Gym Shows Up EMPTY for Sky Preseason — Even Rock-Bottom Ticket Prices Couldn’t Save It!
It was supposed to be a homecoming. A celebration. A triumphant return of LSU’s prodigal daughter, Angel Reese — the Bayou Barbie — who helped lead the LSU Tigers to their first-ever women’s basketball national title in 2023. Now a rookie with the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, her preseason matchup in Baton Rouge was hyped as a can’t-miss event.
But when tipoff came, something unexpected — and frankly, shocking — happened.
The seats were empty. The arena was hollow. The roar of the crowd? More like a whisper.
Despite slashing ticket prices to just $10, the Sky’s preseason game against the Indiana Fever — which featured both Angel Reese and #1 overall pick Caitlin Clark — failed to draw the kind of crowd that LSU fans and WNBA marketers had banked on.
This was more than a scheduling flop or a marketing misstep.
This was a reality check.
For months, LSU fans and national media alike had circled this game on the calendar. After all, Angel Reese was LSU women’s basketball. Her swagger, dominance, and unapologetic confidence put the Tigers on the map and created headlines well beyond the court. She was a lightning rod — for praise, criticism, and everything in between.
And now she was back.
But as thousands of empty seats inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center showed, Baton Rouge wasn’t as eager to celebrate Reese’s return as expected. Even with Caitlin Clark — arguably the biggest name in women’s basketball — sharing the court, the building didn’t buzz with energy. Instead, it offered a sobering scene: an underwhelming crowd, a quiet atmosphere, and a sharp contrast to the electric college games these stars had commanded just months ago.
To understand just how surprising this turnout was, you have to understand the buildup. Social media campaigns from both the WNBA and the Chicago Sky promoted this game heavily. LSU-affiliated accounts helped amplify the hype. Local news outlets positioned it as a must-see event.
More importantly, this wasn’t a high-barrier game. Tickets were dirt cheap — just $10 in some cases. For less than the cost of a movie ticket, fans could watch Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark face off in a live professional setting. You’d think it would be a slam dunk for attendance.
But it wasn’t.
Instead, fans stayed home. Whether due to scheduling conflicts, a lack of awareness, or waning interest, the locals didn’t show. And that absence sent a louder message than any highlight reel could.
What happened in Baton Rouge illustrates a growing tension in the world of women’s basketball: the gap between college popularity and WNBA support.
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark were bonafide stars in college. They dominated headlines, trended on Twitter, and packed arenas. Their games were must-watch TV. Their merch flew off the shelves.
But in the WNBA, things are different.
The league is still fighting for consistent viewership, stronger attendance, and long-term fan investment. And as much as the college game is thriving — thanks to personalities like Reese and Clark — that momentum doesn’t always carry over to the pros.
The disappointing turnout at LSU isn’t just about Reese. It’s a microcosm of a bigger problem: how to convert casual fans of college women’s basketball into dedicated professional supporters.
Angel Reese has been riding high since her breakout championship run in 2023. She’s landed endorsement deals, become a fashion icon, and emerged as a household name. She graced the covers of magazines and strutted down the Met Gala red carpet. Her confidence, both on and off the court, made her a polarizing figure — but one no one could ignore.
But with her WNBA debut approaching, the LSU homecoming flop raises a difficult question: is the honeymoon phase over?
The WNBA isn’t college. It’s not driven by school spirit or student-section chants. It’s a business. And in this business, star power doesn’t just require headlines — it requires results. Ticket sales. Viewership. Wins.
And in Baton Rouge, Angel Reese learned that the WNBA world doesn’t owe her applause just for showing up.
To make matters more surprising, the game also featured Caitlin Clark, the most hyped rookie in WNBA history. Clark’s games at Iowa routinely sold out. She shattered TV ratings and became the face of a new era for women’s hoops. If there’s one player expected to draw crowds, it’s her.
Yet not even Clark’s presence could rescue the empty arena vibes.
That might be the most humbling part of all: this wasn’t just an Angel Reese issue. It was a sobering reflection of the WNBA’s uphill battle to capitalize on its new wave of college superstars.
There’s been a rallying cry in women’s basketball over the past year: Grow the Game.
It’s been printed on t-shirts. Spoken in interviews. Chanted by players and fans alike. And in many ways, it’s working — college basketball has never been more popular.
But as the Baton Rouge preseason game showed, growth isn’t always linear. And it certainly isn’t guaranteed.
“Grow the Game” is a noble goal, but slogans can only take you so far. At some point, fans have to buy in. Not just socially or symbolically — but literally. With tickets. With TV ratings. With time.
And if Baton Rouge is any indication, there’s still a lot of work to do.
Interestingly, Angel Reese hasn’t addressed the attendance disappointment directly. Her social media, which is usually buzzing with motivational posts and glamorous photo ops, was noticeably quiet about the turnout.
Instead, she focused on her performance and her team — a smart PR move, but one that also suggests an awareness of the elephant in the room.
Reese is a master at reading the moment. Her silence says everything.
She knows this wasn’t the welcome-home party it was supposed to be. She knows the empty seats weren’t just about weather or parking or poor timing.
They were a message.
