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Angel Reese absence, explained: Why LSU basketball star isn't playing – Daily Advertiser
LSU’s Angel Reese hasn’t played in the Tigers’ last two-and-a-half games, spurring the question: Where is the women’s basketball star?
Reese, who turned into a national celebrity amid LSU’s national championship run last season, played the first four games of the season before seemingly disappearing for the Tigers’ 73-50 win over Southeastern Louisiana and 106-47 win over Texas State.
REQUIRED READING:Angel Reese remains away from LSU women’s basketball. Kim Mulkey says she will ‘protect her players’
LSU coach Kim Mulkey, in her third season in Baton Rouge, has been noncommital when facing questions regarding Reese’ absence. The No. 7 Tigers (5-1) entered the season as the preseason No. 1-ranked team in the country but dropped the season opener against Colorado 92-78.
Here’s everything to know about Reese’s absence, including what Mulkey said about the situation:
Reese, the reigning Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Women’s Tournament and the single-season record holder for double-doubles, has missed LSU’s last two games for undisclosed reasons.
Reese played 13 minutes in the first half of the Tigers’ 109-79 win over Kent State on Nov. 14, but was benched during the second half for what Mulkey called “a coach’s decision.”
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However, the situation heightened when Reese not only didn’t play against Texas State on Friday, but also wasn’t on the bench.
“Angel was not in uniform,” Mulkey said on Friday. “Angel is a part of this basketball team, and we hope she’s back with the team soon. I’m not gonna answer any more than that.”
Reese again missed LSU’s game against Southeastern Louisiana on Monday, and Mulkey again gave the same response.
Rumors have swirled around Reese’s absence, but it’s unclear as to why she’s away from the team.
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Reese, who made headlines for referencing a championship ring by pointing at her finger in the director of Iowa star Caitlin Clark in the national championship game last season, is away from the team for an undisclosed reason.
Amid rumors regarding Reese’s disappearance from the team, she posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) to “please don’t believe everything you read.”
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Mulkey, a four-time national champion coach at Baylor and LSU and a two-time winner as a player at Louisiana Tech, has repeatedly declined to comment on Reese’s situation, but noted she’s still a member of the team.
Mulkey did, however, hint at her reasoning for seemingly holding out Reese from participating, noting coaches deal with locker room issues frequently.
“That’s just part of coaching, Mulkey said Monday. “In 40 years, I can’t ever think of a time where I didn’t have to deal with issues,” Mulkey said. “Sometimes y’all know about them and sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you want to know more than you are entitled to know.
“I’m going to protect my players, always. They are more important. That’s a family in that locker room. That’s a family. It really doesn’t matter what I say to you guys, you write and interpret things the way you want to. Some of you wrote some things I never said. I never used some of the words some of y’all wrote. Just write what I tell you. This is no different. Those kids are like my children, and I’m not going to tell you what you don’t need to know. That’s just the way I address things.”