Emotional Angel Reese speaks out after Iowa defeat as LSU star reveals she 'hasn't been happy' since winning national title last year - and claims she's been receiving DEATH THREATS -- before shedding tears as teammate Flau'Jae Johnson slams her critics

An emotional Angel Reese cried and said she 'hasn't been happy' since winning  the national championship last year, as the LSU star spoke following the Tigers' Elite 8 loss to Caitlin Clark's Iowa.

Reese, who finished the contest with 17 points, also claimed she'd received 'death threats' and detailed what has evidently been a trying year for her.

'I don't really get to stand up for myself,' she said. 'I mean, I have great teammates. I have a great support system. I've got my hometown. I've got my family that stands up for me. I don't really get to speak out on things because I just ignore.

'I just try to stand strong,' she continued. '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 not be there for them... I'm still a human. All this has happened since I won the national championship, and I said the other day that I haven't [been] happy since then. And it sucks, but I still wouldn't change anything. 

'And I would still sit here and say I'm unapologetically me, I'm gonna always leave that mark and be who I am and stand on that. And hopefully the little girls that look up to me... hopefully I give them some type of inspiration... keep being who you are, keep waking up every day, keep being motivated.

Reese's comments came after teammate Flau'Jae Johnson defended her on the podium. 

Johnson appeared to reference LA Times writer Ben Bolch's since-updated op-ed, which referred to the LSU players as 'villains.'

'Everybody can have their opinion on Angel Reese. But y'all don't know her. Like, y'all don't know Angel Reese... I know the real Angel Reese,' Johnson said.

'And the person I see every day is a strong person, is a caring, loving person. The crown she wear is heavy, bro. She's the type of teammate that gon' make you believe in yourself. The leap that I took from my freshman to sophomore year - Angel gave me that confidence to go be a dog. Playing next to a dog every day, and just to see how the media ridicule her - went through our problems but this my sister right here. 

'And I'm so proud of her,' she continued. 'The media, y'all, how they like to twist and call it a villain and all of that, y'all don't know Angel, bro. And I'm just happy that I get to play with her. I get to be around her presence, her energy is different. She just make me a better player... and that's what great players do. 

Reese fouled out of the game with 1:45 left, and that may have spelled the end of her collegiate career.

The 21-year-old has previously spoken about her ambition to play in the WNBA, and said on Monday night, 'I'll make my decision when I'm ready.'

A bit before halftime in her team's 94-87 loss,  Reese appeared to fume at LSU coach Kim Mulkey to 'get me the f*****g ball.'

Reese's outburst with the game tied 41-41, towards the end of the first half,

At a different point in the contest, Reese appeared to tell her teammates to 'stop taking dumb shots' during a timeout.