CNN — LSU women’s basketball head coach Kim Mulkey said star player Angel Reese will return to the defending national champion’s lineup on Thursday against No. 9 Virginia Tech.
Reese has been mysteriously absent from the team since the Tigers faced Kent State on November 14.
Even before sitting down for her scheduled Wednesday press conference, Mulkey boasted: “Angel’s back.”
Mulkey did not explain why the seventh-ranked Tigers’ marquee forward hasn’t even made the bench for LSU’s last four games. Reese didn’t travel with the team this past week for a high profile, two-game set against Niagara and Virginia at the Cayman Island Classic.
“She’s coming back after not being with the team,” Mulkey said. “We’ve moved on.”
On the court, Reese is one of the best players in the country.
She was named the 2023 Final Four Most Outstanding Player after the Tigers beat Iowa 102-85 in April’s NCAA national championship game. The first team All-American averaged 23 points and 15.4 rebounds last season.
Off the court, Reese is one of the most popular athletes in the country with over three million followers on Instagram, X and YouTube.
As speculation flooded social media as to why the superstar was not with the team, Reese posted on X, formerly Twitter, on November 19: “Please don’t believe everything you read.”
When asked if Reese was going to play against the Hokies with just one or even no practices before tip-off, Mulkey said, “Angel is available to play tomorrow. But if you want to know, Angel has been practicing.
“Do you wanna know how many hours? How many days? Specifics? She is not going to show up tomorrow and play a game.”
Mulkey said she didn’t expect Reese to be rusty in her return.
“I really think Angel will just be like Angel. I mean she has just been good, really good in practice.”
The head coach was repeatedly asked about Reese’s high-profile, two-game set absence.
Mulkey told the gathered media that there was a “sacredness” to a locker room. “What’s in that locker room stays in that locker room,” she said.
“Angel is back and we are happy, happy, happy. She’s happy, happy, happy.”
The Tigers-Hokies tilt on Thursday night is a 2023 Final Four rematch between the two programs; LSU won that game 79-72 en route to the national championship.
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SHOCK: Revealed Angel Reese's text message to Caitlin Clark after LSU was eliminated by Iowa, What Angel said caused Social Networks to explode
Flau’jae Johnson and Angel Reese. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Louisiana State University star Angel Reese has revealed what was said during her brief conversation with Caitlin Clark after Iowa’s Elite Eight win on Monday night.
The Hawkeyes are headed to the Final Four following a monster performance from Clark, who scored 41 points in the 94-87 win, also setting an NCAA Tournament record with nine threes.
While the rivalry between Reese and Clark has been one of the biggest talking points since they met in the final last year, the college stars are cordial off the court.
They were seen sharing an embrace after Monday night’s game, and the Tigers star has since disclosed that she encouraged her rival to go win it all.
“She just told me to continue to be a great player. And I told her to continue to be a great player, as well. And keep elevating the game. And go win it,” Reese told reporters after the game.
https://twitter.com/Tyler_T15/status/1774983054911562066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1774983054911562066%7Ctwgr%5E3ecc7d0376247d670c90b0db3bdb8b2c2cf5c495%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.totalprosports.com%2Fncaa%2Fvideo-angel-reese-reveals-her-private-message-to-caitlin-clark-after-lsu-was-eliminated-by-iowa%2F
Reese put in a great performance against Clark and the Hawkeyes in last year’s title game but was outclassed by the latter this time around. Clark, who is headed to the WNBA as she’s opted to forego her final year of eligibility, is now looking to add an NCAA championship to her CV after becoming college basketball’s highest-ever scorer this season.
She will lead Iowa out against the UConn Huskies in the Final Four on Friday night.
The Clock Is Ticking For Angel Reese
Angel Reese (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
The clock is ticking for Angel Reese now that she’s out of the NCAA Tournament.
The LSU star is yet to announce a decision on whether she will play out her final year with the Tigers or declare for the WNBA Draft. She told reporters she wasn’t sure after last night’s game.
Due to WNBA rules, she will have to decide by Wednesday night as players who make it to the Elite Eight need to renounce their eligibility 48 hours after their last game if they want to be part of the draft.
The world awaits.
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