Indexbit Exchange:LSU star Angel Reese uses Vogue photoshoot to declare for WNBA draft: "I like to do everything big"

Bayou Barbie is WNBA bound.

LSU star Angel Reese formally declared for the WNBA draft less than two days after the Tigers' season ended with a loss to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Elite Eight round of the women's NCAA Tournament.

Reese made her announcement Wednesday via a photo shoot in Vogue, saying she was inspired by tennis great Serena Williams retiring in similar fashion in 2022. Reese acknowledged having made her decision to turn pro before March Madness began.

"Of course, I like to do everything big," Reese told the magazine. "I didn't want anything to be basic."

"I've done everything I wanted to in college," Reese added. "I've won a national championship, I've gotten (Southeastern Conference) Player of the Year, I've been an All-American. My ultimate goal is to be a pro — and to be one of the greatest basketball players to play, ever. I feel like I'm ready."

Reese posted a video compilation of her basketball career on social media.

"Grateful for these last four years and excited for this next chapter," she wrote, ending the post with the hashtag "Bayou Barbie Out." 

Reese likely will join Clark, the expected No. 1 pick by Indiana, as one of the top players drafted on April 15. Interest in Reese and Clark has fueled nationwide interest in women's college basketball, bringing prices of the women's Final Four games higher than those of the men's. 

"We're seeing a seismic shift in the world of sports, thanks to athletes like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and others who are captivating audiences with their talent and star power," Chris Leyden, SeatGeek's growth marketing director, told CBS MoneyWatch earlier this week. "This shift is largely driven by the potent brand power these athletes wield, fueling unprecedented demand for this year's March Madness tournament."

In:
• Sports
• College Basketball
• Caitlin Clark
• NCAA
• Serena Williams