LSU women’s basketball star Angel Reese is continuing her time on the sidelines after being pulled from the starting lineup for the third week in a row.
The senior forward has been notably absent from LSU’s previous two games against Texas Southern on Monday and Southeastern Louisiana last Friday for undisclosed reasons.
Reese was benched on Nov. 14 when the Tigers took on Kent State, playing on the first half.
According to the Athletic, in her 14 minutes of game time Reese got 11 points and five rebounds. All of which were season-lows.
Despite Reese not suiting up, the Tigers have won all four games she has missed and continued to improve their 7-1 record as of last week.
As of Nov. 27, no update or reason has been given for number 10’s absence.
“Coach Kim Mulkey declined to provide an updated timetable for Reese’s return during a postgame news conference,” ESPN said. “‘You ask it every game, you’re gonna get the same answer,’ [Mulkey] said.
On Nov. 24 and 25 LSU traveled to the Cayman Islands for the Cayman Islands Classic facing Niagara and Virginia.
“Reese did not accompany the team to the Cayman Islands,” ESPN said. “Junior Kateri Poole is also not with the team and sophomore Sa’Myah Smith suffered a right knee injury in the first quarter of LSU’s game against Niagara on Friday. Smith did not play on Saturday, leaving the Tigers short-handed in the post.”
Instead of the usual starters, two transfers stepped up making massive plays for the Tigers. During the course of both games, junior Aneesah Morrow scored a combined 65 points and got 26 rebounds, marking season highs. Senior Hailey Van Lith was able to total 32 points and 12 assists during the Classic.
However, the majority of news surrounding the games involves the missing Reese.
“The only thing [Mulkey has] told us is that Reese is still a member of the team. Meanwhile, rumors about Reese’s absence have spread like wildfire.”
Claims of suspension and benching have taken over the LSU basketball narrative.
The only comment from Reese seemingly linked with the situation was a post on X on Nov. 19.
“Please don’t believe everything you read,” Reese said.
The basketball star has amassed a massive following on social media since her standout appearance in the 2023 NCAA tournament.
LSU beat out Iowa 102–85 and won their first ever national championship. The Tigers set a record for most points scored by a team in an NCAA women’s basketball championship game with Reese being a key component in that. During the championship she recorded a double-double and was voted the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.
After being nicknamed the “Bayou Barbie” Reese saw her Instagram following jump from 447,000 followers to over 1 million by the end of the tournament. The following month, Reese reached 2 million followers.
The Guardian has said she is “one of the most popular and commercially successful players in her sport.”
However, she has also been reported for multiple instances of taunting and temper flares, which has garnered mixed reviews from her following.
As of now, there is no clear answer on if or when Reese will suit up for the Tigers. This also makes her future in the WNBA less clear.
A month ago, WNBA legend Sheryl Swoops said despite Reese being one the the top prospects for the 2024 Draft she would have a steep learning curve and be “just a player.”
The Tigers still have a long season ahead with their next game scheduled for Dec. 10 against the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
