LSU’s Angel Reese Is Back With The No. 7 Tigers After 4-game Absence

BATON ROUGE, La.: LSU star ahead Angel Reese, who has missed 4 video games for undisclosed causes, is rejoining the No. 7 Tigers prematurely of their match-up with ninth-ranked Virginia Tech on Thursday night time.

Reese had foreshadowed her return when she posted on social media a photograph of herself inside LSU’s basketball stadium, the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

LSU coach Kim Milkey has declined to enter element about why Reese was not with the group for a lot of the previous two weeks past saying it stemmed from unspecified “locker-room issues.”

Milkey stated Wednesday that Reese will play however wouldn’t say whether or not she can be beginning or coming off the bench.

Reese, who is likely one of the hottest and commercially profitable gamers in her sport, missed video games at Southeastern Louisiana and in opposition to Texas Southern in Baton Rouge earlier than additionally not accompanying the group to the Cayman Islands for a vacation event. LSU defeated Niagara and Virginia within the Cayman Islands Classic final weekend.

Reese additionally was benched for the second half of a victory over Kent State on Nov. 14.

The Tigers (7-1) received the entire video games Reese missed, most of them by vast margins, and haven’t misplaced since dropping their opener in Las Vegas to then-No. 20 Colorado, which has since risen to No. 3.

Reese began LSU’s first 4 video games, averaging 17 factors and 10.3 rebounds because the Tigers went 3-1.

Mulkey, a four-time nationwide championship-winning and Hall of Fame coach, has defended her choice to carry again specifics concerning the nature of Reese’s absence, saying it was an inside group matter about which the general public didn’t must know.

Reese was LSU’s on-court chief final season, when the Tigers received this system’s maiden nationwide title. LSU defeated Virginia Tech within the Final Four earlier than knocking off Iowa within the championship recreation.

Since then, Reese has appeared in quite a few nationwide promoting campaigns and accrued endorsement alternatives value greater than $1 million, together with with Reebok.

Her reputation stems partially from her mixture of female model and ferocious play. She is called the “Bayou Barbie,” partially due to her painted nails and eyelash extensions, and has expressed an curiosity in modeling.

Yet she is fiery on the court docket, staring down opponents after swatting away photographs, diving on the ground for unfastened balls or celebrating with a brief dance transfer after massive baskets. She famously as soon as blocked a shot with one hand whereas holding considered one of her footwear that had come unfastened within the different. She dominated a second-round NCAA Tournament recreation in opposition to Michigan final March with dried blood on her face and a fats lip with gauze beneath it after she’d been inadvertently struck within the mouth.

Last season, she averaged 23 factors and 15.4 rebounds — and set an NCAA file with 34 double-doubles in a season.

But whereas her unfiltered public persona has made her a charismatic determine in ladies’s basketball, it additionally has introduced controversy.

Reese is understood to say she is “unapologetically me,” can settle for being portrayed as “the bad guy” and doesn’t again down from criticism that a few of her actions rub followers and rivals the fallacious means.

That occurred on the finish of final season’s nationwide championship recreation, when she gestured triumphantly at Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark. And afterward, when she took concern on social media with first woman Jill Biden’s suggestion that each LSU and Iowa be invited to the White House as a result of their matchup was so enthralling.

Reese stated she’d somewhat go to the household of former President Barack Obama however wound up attending LSU’s celebration with President Joe Biden and the primary woman.

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AP ladies’s school basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)