Angel Reese Hits Barbados With Victoria's Secret & A Day In The WAG Life Of Ring Girl Marissa Ayers

Well, if Tennessee had to get clobbered in the NCAA Tournament, at least the Vols got clobbered by the eventual champs.

I told myself the same thing when the Vols lost by 25 to Ohio State in the 2024 College Football Playoff, by the way. It didn't make me feel much better then, either.

But congrats to the Michigan Wolverines and to my nephew from Indianapolis who is a lifelong Michigan fan for no good reason at all.

Now, let's talk about the real rivalry in this year's NCAA Women's Tournament. And that's the one between Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma. 

I'm sure y'all saw the video of Geno losing his marbles on Dawn after South Carolina beat UConn in the Final Four. Of course, Geno's always been a sore loser, so this should really surprise no one. He went on to apologize, and Dawn put out a statement today asking everyone to forget about it and turn the page.

And OK, fine. But let's not forget that Geno is not a first-time offender here. He's not exactly known for making friends with rival coaches. Case in point: the longtime beef between Geno and Pat.

I love that you could read that sentence and not know whether I'm discussing women's basketball or Philly cheesesteaks.

But in this case, I'm talking about women's basketball. Remember the late, legendary Pat Summitt couldn't stand Geno. And the feeling was mutual.

And, you know, at some point you have to look at the common denominator. The problem, it seems, is Geno. And his big ol' angry ego.

Now — as a caveat — I will tell you a quick story about my personal experience with Geno Auriemma. In 2012, I was in London with a group of fellow grad students covering the Summer Olympics. While we were having dinner and pints in a pub one night, Geno and several members of the USA Basketball staff walked in. We chatted with him briefly, telling him we were journalism students covering the Games.

On his way out, Geno picked up the tab for our whole group.

So I can't hate the guy too much. But as a Vols alumna, I am team Pat Summitt forever.

Pour one out for Pat. Let's do some Nightcaps.

The Bears Are Awake!

Like, actual bears. Not the Chicago variety.

The big furry babies have emerged from their hibernation caves all over the country, and they are hungry. So if you're out camping, hiking or any other form of recreating, head on a swivel. 

Props to this ambitious queen, who tried to take off with an entire dumpster.

I'm headed to Sevierville (pronounced suh-VEER-vul), Tennessee, this weekend, and I really hope we see some black bears. From a safe distance, of course.

I've got a whole zipline tour lined up, and I'm bringing the GoPro just in case.

I'll report back on Tuesday.

Victoria's Secret Angel… Reese

Love her or hate her, you gotta respect her hustle. 

Angel Reese is making money. A lot of it.

As if she doesn't already have her hands in a zillion business ventures, she just launched a new modeling campaign with Victoria's Secret today.

Here's Angel showing off VS swimwear in Barbados:

Angel was just traded to the Atlanta Dream, by the way — joining forces with another OutKick favorite, Brittney Griner. And apparently, ticket prices in the ATL are already surging.

Already can't wait for the Dream-Fever matchup. I've requested credentials. I'll keep you posted.

Gracie Hunt Is Off The Market

Sorry fellas, you missed your chance. Chiefs heiress Gracie Hunt is officially engaged — to none other than Trent Green's son!

Trent really played the long game, didn't he? He grinded it out for 15 NFL seasons, six with the Chiefs. During those years in Kansas City, he led the team to one division title and two playoff appearances while earning two Pro Bowl selections.

And now his kid is going to inherit the entire franchise.

Incredible.

Rich people are so funny. Guarantee that proposal cost more than my whole wedding. And I know that ring is worth more than my house.

Speaking of rich people, let's check in with Jaxson Dart's girlfriend Marissa Ayers. 

She's giving us a sneak peek of the busy day in the life of an influencer/NFL WAG — complete with intentional hydration, repeating positive affirmations from her beachfront condo and romanticizing plates of salad.

Shoutout to TikTok user Madi3773 for keeping it real in the top comment: "That’s cool I worked a 14 hour shift today."

Let's open the mailbag.

Richard M. Is Here To Defend Livvy Dunne's Honor Against Rick F.

Last week, Rick F. said he was sick and tired of seeing Livvy Dunne all over OutKick and the rest of the internet.

Richard Writes: I am the guy who said Brooks Nader is no more than an 8, but I have to stick up for Livvy Dunne.

1. She is super cute in a wholesome not smutty kind of way.

2. She is funny and playful and seemingly well-adjusted.

3. She is a legit athlete.

4. She went to my daughter’s university.

And most importantly, I am sorry Rick F., but if she is good enough for Paul Skenes, she is too good for you.

Mark T. Wants To Correct My Whale Terminology

Last week, I wrote a story for OutKick Outdoors about a windsurfer who collided with a gray whale in the San Francisco Bay.

In the story, I wrote: "Gray whales have been spotted in the San Francisco Bay since January, which is earlier than usual this year. The massive animals are migrating north from Baja California in Mexico to their feeding grounds in the Arctic.

This particular batch of gray whales are well known for their curious behavior toward boats, which often puts them in danger."

Mark Writes: This email is to convey the mild annoyance and slight vexation experienced by some readers upon reading your careless and callous misnomer referring to a group of whales as a "batch."

By way of background, and I don’t mean to brag, but I’ve been a proud member of the American Cetacean Society ever since a 4th‑grade school field trip that included whale watching and a visit to the Cabrillo Marine Museum. Heck, I knew a group of whales is called a pod since kindergarten, maybe before!

So, you can see how this faux pas of yours can be stinging to me and other like-minded, caring, souls. Going forward, it would be appreciated if you made a note of this somewhere. I'd really hate to have to pen another email expressing my pocket-sized frustration, distraction, and vexation. I mean, I really should be working right now instead of writing this email. 

Side note: A group of rhinos is called a crash, which somehow seems both very fun and entirely appropriate. No schooling behind that delicious morsel of informational goodness, it’s just one of the dozens of things I know.

Amber:

I've learned from working on the Daily OutKick newsletter (subscribe!) that our readers care a lot about grammar, semantics and precise terminology. As the former chief copy editor of the University of Tennessee Daily Beacon, I respect it.

But I'm also going to defend my choice here.

I am, in fact, aware that a collective of whales is called a pod. However, in the world of marine biology, a pod is defined by spatial cohesion. To be a pod, whales must be traveling together, interacting or coordinating their movements in real-time. It's a social unit — think of it as a family in a minivan.

The whales I was referring to aren't one cohesive unit. They are individual travelers spread across hundreds of miles of coastline.

Now, was calling them a "batch" technically correct? No. That was just me being conversational. If we want to be truly precise, scientists refer to the entire group migrating from Baja to the Arctic as a "population" or a "stock."

And this concludes today's episode of "Nature Time with Amber."

(Also, Mark, thank you for caring about marine life and conservation!)

Brad S. Will Take Snow Over Snakes

Last week, I introduced you to this little guy.

Brad Writes: When the South African lady said, "That's the largest puff adder I've ever seen." That means she's seen more than one.

After I saw the first puff adder, I'd be on the first plane to Cleveland.

Oh, wait. That's where I live. We don't have any venomous snakes in this part of Ohio. (Or deadly spiders, wildfires, mudslides, etc.)

I'll take the six months of snow.

Drew In Katy, Texas, Has Skincare Recommendations For The Fellas

Drew Writes: I read from you, "Not to stereotype, of course. But as a husband-haver, it's my experience that a man's commitment to skincare goes about as far as a quick splash of Dial soap in the shower."

I’ve never been a fan of the smell of the original Dial soap. Give your husband some new options to smell great for you. Cremo Company.

My favorite scent is Bergamot Black which for some reason is only sold through Walmart. Vintage Suede is great but on the sweet side. Italian Bergamot is like an improved Irish Spring. Bourbon and Oak is a good scent. 

There has only been one scent that I tried and didn’t like. It advertised a smokey smell. I was hoping for a hint of campfire or BBQ smoke. That one disappointment smelled like stale bar room smoke. 

And no, I don’t work for the company. I just like great scents when I clean off all of the outdoors, wood shop, metal shop, or animal smells at the end of the day.

Say Hello To Another Rocky (Not Mine)

Kevin M. Writes: I’ve been meaning to send you a pic of our Rocky, rescued at age 5 nearly five years ago. He’s coming up to ten and very happy here in CA. Luckily, he doesn’t pay attention to CA politics!

📩 Email: amber.harding@outkick.com
Send your thoughts, stories, tips, rants and photos of your dog.

🐦 Twitter/X: @TheAmberHarding

📸 Instagram: @amberharding

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OutKick Nightcaps is a daily column set to run Monday through Friday at 4 p.m.