Angel Reese has a rousing return to Baton Rouge in an exhibition for the Sky vs. Brazil

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Former LSU star Angel Reese’s homecoming in the Chicago Sky’s WNBA exhibition opener was a smashing success.

Reese had 15 points and 10 rebounds, helping the Sky to a rousing 89-62 victory over the Brazilian national team on Friday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

Reese was smiling the moment she entered the arena where her college career took off after transferring from Maryland. She earned All-America honors twice and led LSU to the national title in 2023.

“I’m just happy to be back to see all the fans, even down to the security guards, because I know how much was put into this program,” said Reese, who's entering her second season with the Sky after earning WNBA All-Rookie honors last year, when she set a league single season rebounding record.

A crowd of 6,373, many of whom wore Sky T-shirts and Reese No. 5 jerseys, cheered her and rookie teammate Hailey Van Lith’s every move. Van Lith was an LSU teammate of Reese in 2023-24 before playing her final collegiate season at TCU.

Van Lith entered the game to a loud ovation with 5:43 left in the third quarter and finished with seven points, five assists and three rebounds.

Reese and Van Lith were honored before the game with video highlights of their time at LSU. Tigers coach Kim Mulkey gave the duo bouquets and hugs.

Kia Nurse added 11 points for the Sky. Chicago's Kamilla Cardoso, playing against her Brazilian countrywomen, had six points and eight rebounds.

Manu Alves led Brazil with nine points.

Friday’s game was the first for new Sky coach Tyler Marsh. The Sky also debuted a revamped starting lineup, with veteran free agent signees Nurse and Courtney Vandersloot and trade acquisition Ariel Atkins joining Reese and Cardoso.

The result was a smooth offense guided by Vandersloot, a four-time all-league guard in her first 12 WNBA seasons with the Sky. She spent the last two years with the New York Liberty.

Brazil's next stop in its U.S. tour will be an exhibition against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on Sunday at the University of Iowa's arena in Iowa City, where Clark starred in college.

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Brazil forward Manu Alves defends against Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) in the second half a WNBA exhibition basketball game in Baton Rouge, La., Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Chicago Sky guard Hailey Van Lith (2) moves the ball down court in the second half a WNBA exhibition basketball game against Brazil in Baton Rouge, La., Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

LSU women's basketball head coach Kim Mulkey presents flowers to her former player, Chicago Sky guard Hailey Van Lith, before a WNBA exhibition basketball game against Brazil in Baton Rouge, La., Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese hugs her former coach, LSU's Kim Mulkey, as she presents Reese flowers before a WNBA exhibition basketball game against Brazil in Baton Rouge, La., Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) drives to the basket against Brazil forward Manu Alves in the second half a WNBA exhibition basketball game in Baton Rouge, La., Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese hugs her former coach, LSU's Kim Mulkey, as she presents Reese flowers before a WNBA exhibition basketball game against Brazil in Baton Rouge, La., Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.

Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)