At least one WNBA executive looks unfavorably on LSU star Angel Reese for how she carries herself in the NCAA – even though her actions don’t greatly differ from other top prospects.

A WNBA general manager disparaged LSU forward Angel Reese but declined to speak on the record in a new wide-ranging profile.

According to ESPN, which also spoke to Reese at length for its story, one general manager anonymously said of the 21-year-old’s draft stock: “Some of the stuff she does is disrespectful to the game. The dirty play hurts her for sure.”

ESPN published those comments less than two weeks after Reese’s involvement in a tense SEC Tournament final against South Carolina.

During the first quarter of that contest, Reese tangled with Kamilla Cardoso, at one point appearing to pull the Gamecocks post player’s hair and at another moment receiving an intentional foul whistle for a hit to her rival’s face.

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It should be noted that the physicality was mutual. Cardoso, a WNBA prospect in her own right, also seemed to push Reese under the basketball and talk trash.

And Reese notably stayed out of the fray in the fourth quarter as Cardoso, Flau’Jae Johnson and others scrapped on the court. Her decision to avoid the fracas prompted praise from basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal, who has taken on a mentorship role for the Baltimore native.

“I called her and I said, ‘You did the right thing,'” O’Neal said via FOX of his reaction to the LSU-South Carolina situation. “‘Trust me, you did the right thing, because if you would have went out there, they would have been looking for you.

You and [Kamilla] Cardoso get into a shoving match. She’s already ejected. Can’t play in the next round. That would have happened to you. It would have been all your fault.’ So, she did the right thing. Kudos to her.”

For the most part, Reese’s college career has included plenty of trash talk but minimal hand-to-hand combat running afoul of game regulations. The incident that arguably led to the most backlash was her taunt of Caitlin Clark at last year’s NCAA Tournament final – but no dirty acts accompanied it. Clark has said she took no offense.

Additionally, Reese is far from the only women’s college basketball player picking up intentional fouls. Even Clark, the projected No. 1 overall pick in 2024, was disciplined this season for what opponent Purdue Fort Wayne described as a “two-hand push.”

There have not been indications that WNBA scouts view Clark negatively for that incident.

Reese has one more year of college eligibility and has not announced whether she will declare for the 2024 WNBA Draft. If she does jump to the professional ranks, she will likely be selected in the top 10 despite at least one general manager having reservations about her on-court antics.

Reese may wait until after the 2024 NCAA Tournament to announce a final decision on her future. LSU won its first-round game over Rice even as head coach Kim Mulkey described “selfishness” throughout the squad. The Tigers will try to put on an improved performance in the second round against Middle Tennessee.