Angel Reese (Photo By Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images)
If Geno Auriemma pulls up to your high school gym, you’re not just hooping, you’re cooking. And this week, the internet got a rare reminder of just how serious Angel Reese’s game has been since day one.
A photo surfaced on X showing the UConn legend standing next to a young Reese. No fancy backdrop. No camera crew. Just Reese, holding her jacket and phone, and Geno, standing beside her like a man on a mission. That image? It wasn’t for clout. It was real. And if Auriemma showed up, it’s because the talent in front of him couldn’t be ignored.
For all the noise online, every hot take, every critic, this moment speaks louder than any tweet. Geno doesn’t just roll through for fun. He’s scouting greatness. And in 2020, Angel Reese had it written all over her game.
Geno’s Visit Wasn’t Random, It Was Respect
Geno Auriemma (Photo By Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)
Reese, a Baltimore native, ranked No. 2 in her class. She had UConn, Maryland, and just about every national powerhouse in her corner. But according to the Baltimore Sun, she took UConn off her list early. In a 2018 interview with Katherine Dunn, Reese explained her decision.
“I wanted to play right away,” she said. And with UConn’s Megan Walker and Olivia Nelson-Ododa already in the mix, minutes would’ve been tough. So she stayed closer to home and signed with Maryland.
Some fans treat her LSU run like a Cinderella story. That’s just wrong. This photo is proof. Geno knew she was elite before the country did. And while Reese didn’t take the UConn path, she still left a massive mark, first at Maryland, then at LSU, and now as a WNBA All-Star.
The now-viral post said it best: “Geno doesn’t waste his time showing up for just anybody.” He went after the top two in that 2020 class, Paige Bueckers and Reese. He landed one. The other chose her own road. And she still ended up on top.
This isn’t some alternate reality. This is just a reminder. Angel Reese wasn’t a surprise. She was a sure thing. And when one of the greatest coaches in basketball shows up just to see you, there’s nothing left to prove.
