Angel Reese wins the ESPY for the Best Breakthrough Athlete

Angel Reese has won the ESPY for the Best Breakthrough Athlete.

Despite a pair of Iowa connections in the ESPY nominees for best breakthrough athlete, Angel Reese toppled both Caitlin Clark and Brock Purdy to win the award.

Reese, the LSU women’s basketball standout who helped guide the Tigers to a national title over Clark and the Hawkeyes, received the award Wednesday night at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

A rare Cy-Hawk battle unfolded Wednesday night at the ESPYs, with Iowa and Caitlin Clark coming out on top.

The Hawkeyes superstar beat out former Iowa State quarterback and current San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy for best breakthrough athlete, also toppling other nominees Angel Reese and Julio Rodriguez. The awards were presented at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

The Tigers began the season with a program-record 23 straight wins, only losing in the regular season to South Carolina and Tennessee in the SEC Tournament. The finished the year with a 34-2 record and the schools first ever national title in women’s basketball.

Angel Reese kept her speech short after winning the ESPY for best breakthrough athlete. 

The All-American Reese was dominant throughout LSU’s championship run, securing a NCAA record 34 double-doubles. Reese became just the fourth player in SEC history to lead the conference in both scoring and rebounding (23.0 ppg, 15.4 rpg). She also set the SEC record with 555 rebounds, and she led the country with six games of recording at least 20 points and 20 rebounds.