From time to time, the WNBA provides us with brief moments of past college rivals, as Atlanta Dream star forward Angel Reese was the latest to share her thoughts on Indiana Fever rookie Raven Johnson's season up till now.

Reese talked about Johnson two days after the Fever beat the Dream 83-71 in the Commissioner's Cup, where Reese and Johnson were seen sharing a hug before the game.

“[Raven and I] talk probably once a week. Her mom comes to the games and sits courtside with my mom. But it’s great to see her being able to adjust to the W so quickly," Reese said, per an X post from @JameelahJNBA.

She then added, "I mean, obviously, everybody knows [Johnson's] defense. But her three-point continues to grow, and she continues to get comfortable. So I'm really happy for her, and really excited for her. And I know she's gonna continue to flourish in Indiana."

The WNBA itself highlighted Reese and Johnson's embrace on social media. The former SEC rivals who have played against each other an ample amount of times share mutual respect and admiration.

While it is unclear when Reese and Johnson's friendship began, Johnson is from Atlanta, and her family lives there, which is probably a reason why the stars' mothers know each other and watch their daughters together courtside.

More importantly, Reese acknowledging Johnson's career and her start in the WNBA goes to show that players can move past college rivalries.

Angel Reese Shows Us That College Rivalries Can Stay in the Past

Reese enjoyed a pretty successful college campaign with LSU, where she won the 2023 NCAA championship by beating Caitlin Clark's Iowa.

That game was also the inception of Reese and Clark's rivalry, when the LSU star made the iconic "You Can't See Me" gesture created by legendary wrestler John Cena, to Clark in the closing moments of the championship game.

But Reese and Clark both assert that there's no bad blood between them and that if they did have a rivalry, it has been left in the rearview mirror.

As for Reese and Johnson, their rivalry brewed following the countless clashes between rivals LSU and South Carolina, which is where Johnson went to play under Dawn Staley.

But the past is the past, and it seems like Reese has put these rivalries behind her as she is more focused on reaching her first WNBA playoffs with the Atlanta Dream.

After a tough loss against the Fever, Reese and the Dream bounced back against the Washington Mystics, as Reese now prepares to head back to the Wintrust Arena to face her previous team, the Chicago Sky.

So, do you think Angel Reese will help the Atlanta Dream in reaching the WNBA Finals this year? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Joy Bassy