After missing a second straight game Monday, Final Four MVP Angel Reese is out for the LSU Tigers. The Tigers have major games in the next nine days, but her return and why she is absent are unknown.
After LSU's 106-47 triumph over Texas Southern in Baton Rouge on Monday, head coach Kim Mulkey repeated his Reese response from last week.
“My answer is the same. Mulkey said Angel, a basketball player, was not in uniform tonight. “And Angel will return soon.”
In the past two LSU games, Reese has not played or been with the team. Mulkey wouldn't disclose if Reese practices with them.
She last played Kent State on Nov. 14 and was benched in the second half. Mulkey and Reese have not explained her absence, sparking social media conjecture and criticism.
Reese has avoided reporters and social media. Saturday she shared a snapshot of the LSU gym on Instagram and Sunday to X, formerly Twitter, “please don’t believe everything you read.”
No. 7 LSU (5-1) will play Niagara (2-2) on Friday and Virginia (3-1) on Saturday at the Cayman Islands Classic on Thanksgiving. Tigers' most anticipated nonconference game of the season is a Final Four rematch against No. 9 Virginia Tech next week.
Mulkey declined to say Monday if the “whole roster” would fly to George Town, Cayman Islands. She said, “I don’t even know if I’ll go. I may wake up sick.” Later, she was asked if Reese would attend the tournament.