Photo Courtesy of (@angelreese10/ @iam_jordanhawk)
Cousins Angel Reese and Jordan Hawkins have a lot to celebrate after their respective basketball teams won the NCAA championship games.
Louisiana State University’s Reese helped her team defeat the University of Iowa with a score of 102-85 on Sunday, making history for the university’s men’s and women’s basketball programs.
The following day, University of Connecticut’s Hawkins led his team to victory against San Diego State University with a score of 76-59, ending UConn’s nearly 10-year drought.
After the win, the two DMV cousins exchanged congratulatory messages, with Reese expressing how proud she was of Hawkins and how they needed to celebrate their victories with a family cookout.
“I wished her luck. I’m going to see her in Maryland soon. The cookout gone be lit,” he said.
“(She) said she was proud of me,” Hawkins continued. “We both said we need to go home right away for the cookout. I know it’s going to be crazy. The whole family is going to be there.”
Both Hawkins and Reese grew up in the DMV area, with Hawkins attending DeMatha Catholic High School in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Reese attending St. Frances Academy outside Baltimore. Despite the distance, the two remained close and shared the same dream of winning a national championship.
“It’s truly amazing because I just remember being in D.C. with her. We were just kids, just dreaming about this moment and look at us now – two national championships, one family. That’s pretty cool,” said Hawkins.
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The 20-year-old player is still in shock over the win.
“Winning it is a whole different thing. It still hasn’t hit me yet. It’s coming to me, though,” he shared.
Hawkins hopes that his story will inspire other young players to dream and believe that anything is possible.
“This is for all the kids from Gaithersburg, Maryland, that didn’t think they could do it. I did it. Now you can do it, man. Me and Angel paved the way. We did it,” said Hawkins.
The cousins’ success on the court is a testament to their hard work and dedication to the sport. Congratulations to Angel Reese, Jordan Hawkins, and their respective teams on their incredible NCAA championship wins!