LSU

Angel Reese Scores 19 In LSU Return

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Angel Reese had 19 points and 9 rebounds in her first game back with LSU since November 14. Reese, who started and played 29 minutes, was instrumental in the 82-64 win over Virginia Tech. Meanwhile, Aneesah Morrow had a 19-point, 15-rebound double-double. The Hokies’ Georgia Amoore had a game-high 25 points in the loss.

“How happy are y’all to see me?” Reese greeted reporters after the game. While she did not say much about her absence, she did say that she was glad to be back. “It was a long two weeks to be away from the team. I’m just happy to be back and this place was amazing tonight,” Reese said. The game also marked Kim Mulkey‘s 700th coaching win, making her the fastest coach in both men’s and women’s NCAA history to hit that mark. “Angel is one of the best players I’ve coached. I’m just proud. I’m proud of how she handled herself. She’s back to the Angel everybody knows,” Mulkey said after the game.

Read More: Angel Reese And LSU Stars Name Their All-Time Basketball Starting Lineups

Short-handed LSU Look To Persevere

LSU fielded just seven players against Virginia Tech as the early-season drama, as well as some brutal injuries, have begun to take their toll. Kateri Poole remains away from the team and did not make her return alongside Reese. Meanwhile, star sophomore Sa’Myah Smith was ruled out for the season after tearing her ACL, MCL, and right meniscus in the Cayman Islands. That leaves LSU with just 11 players to see out the season. Morrow and freshman Milaylah Williams are already close to averaging 30 minutes a night.

However, the Tigers can likely take their foot off the gas for December, with five games left before the SEC slate begins in January. Their December opponents have an average NET ranking of 273, meaning they will likely be little trouble for the 8-1 Tigers. It’s January that will start to cause problems if the Tigers remain short-handed and their stars stay on high workloads. Despite losing their entire starting lineup to graduation and the WNBA draft, South Carolina has re-emerged as one of the best teams in the country. They are 6-0, with half their wins coming against ranked opponents. The Tiger-Gamecocks matchup is currently set for January 25.

Read More: Angel Reese Becomes Shaq’s First Reebok Signing

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Is Angel Reese Playing Against Virginia Tech?

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LSU has continued its policy of silence about Angel Reese’s absence as one of the team’s biggest games of the season looms. The No. 7 Tigers (7-1) are scheduled to host No. 9 Virginia Tech (5-1) on Thursday. However, the team has not revealed if Reese will be returning to the team for this top-ten matchup. Reese has not played since being benched at half-time against Kent State on November 14. Reese has subsequently missed the team’s next four games, including a Thanksgiving Week tournament in the Cayman Islands. The Tigers are 4-0 without Reese, although the NET ranking of their opponents in those games sat at an average of 202nd. However, the Tigers barely survived Virginia (53rd in NET ranking), beating the Cavaliers 76-73.

Furthermore, Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey has consistently shut down any line of questioning about Reese’s absence. When asked if Reese would appear in LSU’s first game after her Kent State benching, Mulkey told reporters to “buy a ticket and find out”. Since then, Mulkey has only doubled down on her rhetoric. Mulkey said that her silence is about “protecting her players” while also alluding to “locker room issues”. But the reality of the situation is that LSU has made sure to bunker down against any rumors or leaks. It’s unknown if Reese is even training with the team right now.

Read More: Angel Reese And LSU Stars Name Their All-Time Basketball Starting Lineups

Drama Swirls Around Reese And LSU

The lack of communication from LSU has led to a deluge of rumors about what is going on. Reese’s parents beefed with the parents of her teammate, Flau’jae Johnson. In those exchanges, Johnson’s parents appeared to imply that Reese had been suspended for poor grades. Reese herself seemingly responded to this, telling her social media followers to not “believe everything you read“. Meanwhile, recently graduated LSU alums chimed in, implying that they had insider knowledge about dysfunction on the team.

However, Reese appears largely unbothered by the speculation. On November 22, Reese posted a video to her TikTok account, showing her walking around her apartment in a fluffy pink bathrobe. The audio of the video was a speech by Deion Sanders talking about how little he thinks about his haters. Furthermore, Reese posted a video of the same speech to her Instagram last weekend. She has since posted other videos to her account, none of which appear to directly reference the drama within the team. This remains a developing story and we’ll have any updates as and when they emerge.

Read More: Angel Reese Becomes Shaq’s First Reebok Signing

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Angel Reese Remains Away From LSU, Absent From Cayman Islands Trip

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Angel Reese will seemingly miss at least two more LSU games. Reese has not been spotted in the Cayman Islands, where the Tigers are preparing to face Niagra and Virginia in the Cayman Islands Classic. Furthermore, this marks the second road event that Reese has not been with the team. The 2023 Final Four MOP has not been seen alongside her LSU teammates since being benched against Kent State on November 14. Reese was then absent from a road game on November 17 and a home game on November 20.

However, no official reason has been given for Reese’s absence. There have been claims of both academic probation and a head coach-mandated “attitude adjustment”. But Kim Mulkey has refused to answer questions about Reese’s absence and Reese herself has only spoken out to tell people “Don’t believe everything you read“. After the event in the Cayman Islands, LSU’s next game sees the Tigers host #9 Virginia Tech on November 30.

Read More: Angel Reese Becomes Shaq’s First Reebok Signing

Angel Reese Addresses Her Haters

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Despite the mystery surrounding her absence, Reese has not been silent. On November 22, Reese posted a video to her TikTok account, showing her walking around her apartment in a fluffy pink bathrobe. The audio of the video is a speech by Deion Sanders talking about how little he thinks about his haters. Furthermore, Reese posted a video of the same speech to her Instagram last weekend. It appears to be a direct response to the new wave of speculation and hate that she has received since the drama began to unfurl at LSU.

As mentioned, there appears to be no timetable for Reese’s return, not that she appears to be sweating her absence too much regardless. On Thanksgiving, Reese posted a video recreating the viral “Cheese Rice and Byron” Sidetalk clip. Through four games played, Reese is still averaging a double-double with 17 points and 10.3 rebounds. That puts her second on the team in both categories. Reese’s situation is a developing story and we’ll have any updates as and when they emerge.

Read More: Angel Reese And LSU Stars Name Their All-Time Basketball Starting Lineups

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Angel Reese Responds To Rumor That She Was Suspended Due To Low GPA

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Angel Reese had an amazing season last year with the LSU Tigers. Overall, she was able to go out and win the National Title with her teammates. Although there was a bit of controversy due to her on-court celebrations, many dismissed these criticisms as disingenuous. Subsequently, she got all sorts of NIL deals and some believe she is already making a few million despite being in college. She will be in the WNBA soon enough, and fans are excited for her future matchups with the likes of Caitlin Clark.

Unfortunately, Angel Reese has found herself at the center of a controversy with the Tigers. Firstly, her mom and Flau’Jae Johnson’s mom have been feuding on social media. It seemed as though Johnson’s mother was implying that Reese was doing poorly academically. Well, that was all brought to a head over the weekend as Reese didn’t play a recent game. Her head coach said she was still on the team but was absent for unknown reasons. Fans speculated that a low GPA is keeping her out of the lineup.

Read More: Angel Reese Becomes Shaq’s First Reebok Signing

Angel Reese Hits Back

In the tweet above from yesterday afternoon, Reese decided to respond to the noise. “Please don’t believe everything you read,” she wrote. It was a simple yet effective response that dispelled some of the rumors that are out there. However, the reason for her absence still remains unknown. It remains to be seen if LSU will ever divulge that information. For now, fans will be left to speculate on what happened. Either way, this is not the way LSU was hoping to start their season.

Hopefully, some clarity on this situation will be provided in the not-so-distant future. Let us know what you think of the ordeal, down below. Do you think Reese should come clean about what is happening? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the sports world. We will always be sure to keep you informed on your favorite athletes.

Read More: Angel Reese Addresses Caitlin Clark Beef, Eyes Title Defense

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Angel Reese And Flau’jae Johnson’s Parents Feud Amid LSU Drama

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The parents of Angel Reese and Flau’jae Johnson have begun beefing online as drama grips the LSU women’s basketball team. “You definitely know about grammar errors when your daughter got a 2.0 or less GPA,” one post aimed at Reese read. Furthermore, graduated Tigers Alexis Morris and Jasmine Carson also weighed in on the current situation. Morris said that the team better not be “falling apart without her” after they “switched up to gang up on me”. Meanwhile, Carson warned “y’all better hope I don’t say nothing.”

Reese was completely absent from LSU’s road trip to Southeastern Louisiana, with head coach Kim Mulkey refusing to answer questions on where Reese was. The Tigers won out 73-50 over the Lions, who are ranked #168 in the nation according to the latest NET rankings. Johnson, playing off the bench, had a double-double with a game-high 17 points.

Read More: Angel Reese And LSU Stars Name Their All-Time Basketball Starting Lineups

What Is Going On At LSU?

LSU appeared to have buckled under the pressure that comes with being the defending national champions. They lost their season-opener to then #20 Colorado, one of the few truly competitive games on their non-conference slate. While they have quickly improved to 4-1 with wins over Queens, Mississippi Valley State, Kent State, and Southeastern Louisiana, all is not well within the Tigers camp.

However, head coach Kim Mulkey benched Reese for the entire second half against Kent State, calling it a “coach’s decision”. Then, just days later, Reese was off the team sheet entirely. As mentioned, Mulkey refused to say much about why Reese was away from the team. “Angel was not in uniform. Angel is a part of this basketball team, and we hope to see her sooner than later,” Mulkey said matter-of-factly. However, Reese wasn’t just out of uniform. It appeared that she had not made the 50-mile journey to Hammond at all. The Tigers return home on Monday to face Texas Southern. The game is the start of a six-game homestand that includes #9 Virginia Tech. It remains to be seen when Reese will return to the lineup.

Read More: Angel Reese “Insulted” By ESPN’s WNBA Mock Draft

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Angel Reese & LSU Look To Bounce Back In Home Opener After Shock Loss

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LSU’s Angel Reese-led superteam will look to find their first win of the college basketball season as they host Queens University later today. The defending national champions were stunned in their season-opener earlier this week as they were soundly beaten by #20 Colorado. It was the first time since 2020 that LSU had lost a season opener. Furthermore, it was the first time since 2009 that a Kim Mulkey-coached team had lost their season opener. Mulkey attributed the loss to a lack of toughness. However, she did not call out any specific players by name.

Much like Reese bounced back against Cuba after being humbled by Brazil in the AmeriCup, LSU is expected to bounce back against Queens. The ASUN school dropped their own season opener to Ole Miss 91-44. Last season, Queens finished dead last in their conference, going 8-21. 2022-23 was Queens’ first season at the Division I level after transitioning from Division II.

Read More: Angel Reese And LSU Stars Name Their All-Time Basketball Starting Lineups

LSU Superteam Yet To Be Super

Mulkey made headlines over the summer as she added the top two players in the transfer portal – Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow. However, it’s clear that the growing pains are still present. Morrow, previously the heart and soul of DePaul and the country’s seventh-best rebounder last year, finished with 6 points and 4 rebounds. Similarly, impact sophomore Flau’jae Johnson put up just 3 points. While a number of the younger players had solid games, it seems that the roster is still looking to find an overall cohesion that suits them.

While Reese put up a double-double (15 points, 12 rebounds) and Van Lith had 14 points of her own, some of the issues that experts noted about the new team are already present. Some criticized Mulkey for grabbing talent without having a solid plan on how to utilize it. While it’s just one game, it’s an issue that could stymie LSU’s title defense. Amid a fairly weak conference schedule, LSU’s next big test will be #8 Virginia Tech at the end of the month. LSU open SEC play against Missouri at the start of January.

Read More: Angel Reese Becomes Shaq’s First Reebok Signing

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Angel Reese And LSU Stars Name Their All-Time Basketball Starting Lineups

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Angel Reese and several of her LSU teammates recent namely their all-time basketball starting lineups. Reese kicked things off with a twist. “I’m starting strong with Lisa Leslie,” Reese said before filling her lineup out with Cheryl Miller, Kobe, Shaq, and most surprisingly, LSU head coach Kim Mulkey. Mulkey was a national championship winning point guard with LA Tech in the early 80s. Sophomore Flau’jae Johnson also named Mulkey to her lineup and also agreed with Reese on Shaq. However, Johnson also picked Dwyane Wade, Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson.

Meanwhile, new transfer Hailey Van Lith went in a different direction entirely. After naming Kobe and the aforementioned Lisa Leslie, Van Lith also selected Becky Hammon, Kevin Garnett, and Micheal Jordan. “That’s a tough starting five, right there. Mad tough,” Van Lith said of her team. The question came about as apart of an interview the players did ahead of the Hall of Fame Series, the traditional marquee event to open the college basketball season. The basketball season kicks off next week.

Read More: Angel Reese Addresses Caitlin Clark Beef, Eyes Title Defense

LSU Betting Favorites For Title

Meanwhile, oddsmakers have revealed the Tigers as their title favorites ahead of the start of the women’s basketball season next week. The Tigers are +230 favorites on FanDuel and +300 favorites on DraftKings. Just behind LSU is UConn at +500 and +600 on the two sites respectively. Furthermore, LSU and UConn are #1 and #2 in both the AP‘s preseason poll and ESPN‘s preseason bracketology. LSU opens the season against #20 Colorado in Las Vegas next week.

The Tigers are also seeking to become the first team since the UConn four-peat to repeat as National Champions. To maximize their chances, head coach Kim Mulkey built a superteam from recruiting and the portal. She has two top-7 freshmen and added Aneesah Morrow from DePaul and Hailey van Lith from Louisville. These additions are a huge reason for the preseason hype surrounding LSU. However, experts have also noted that if the lineup fails to be cohesive, it may spell disaster for the team.

Read More: Angel Reese Becomes Shaq’s First Reebok Signing

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Angel Reese, LSU Betting Favorites For Women’s NCAA Basketball Title

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Oddsmakers have revealed the Angel Reese-led LSU Tigers as their title favorites ahead of the start of the women’s basketball season next week. The Tigers are +230 favorites on FanDuel and +300 favorites on DraftKings. Just behind LSU is UConn at +500 and +600 on the two sites respectively. Furthermore, LSU and UConn are #1 and #2 in both the AP‘s preseason poll and ESPN‘s preseason bracketology.

The Tigers are also seeking to become the first team since the UConn four-peat to repeat as National Champions. To maximize their chances, head coach Kim Mulkey built a superteam from recruiting and the portal. She has two top-7 freshmen and added Aneesah Morrow from DePaul and Hailey van Lith from Louisville. These additions are a huge reason for the preseason hype surrounding LSU. However, experts have also noted that if the lineup fails to be cohesive, it may spell disaster for the team.

Read More: Angel Reese Becomes Shaq’s First Reebok Signing

Angel Reese “Insulted” By Mock Draft

Meanwhile, 2023-24 is likely to be Reese’s final year at the college level. While she has the option to play a fifth year under the COVID waiver, Reese has previously expressed her desire to take the next step in her career. However, Mulkey recently spoke on Reese’s negative reaction to ESPN projecting her to go eighth in the 2024 WNBA Draft. “That was an insult to her. We talked about the things she needs to work on. Whether she gets picked higher than that or not, it still motivates her. She gets motivated in practice with someone going head-to-head with her or talking trash back at her. She’s a competitor,” Mulkey said.

While Reese could play a fifth year in college thanks to the COVID exemption, she has made it clear that she is ready for the pros. “This is my senior year, and I have the opportunity to declare for the WNBA this year if I choose to. Personally, I aspire to make it to the WNBA. While I do have the option for another year, I do want to get out of college, start life outside of school, and pursue my WNBA dreams. It’s been a challenging but rewarding four years, and I’m excited to continue improving at LSU and beyond,” she told WNBA legend Lisa Leslie for Glamour.

Read More: Caitlin Clark Still Undecided About Declaring For WNBA Draft

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Angel Reese Addresses Caitlin Clark Beef, Eyes Title Defense

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Angel Reese had a lot to say at LSU’s media day this week. First, she made it very clear that she has no issues with Iowa’s Caitlin Clark. “I love Caitlin; we’ve been competing since we were in AAU. It was always fun, always competitive. One day, hopefully, we could even be teammates. She is a great player, shooter, person and teammate. The world is always going to have a good girl and a bad girl. I’ll take that I’m going to be the bad guy because I know I’ve grown women’s basketball and inspired people,” Reese told reporters. The media-propelled feud between the pair stemmed from Reese trolling Clark with the “you can’t see me” gesture during their National Championship face-off.

She also expressed her desire to mount a successful title defense this season. If the Tigers pull it off, they will be the first team to defend the women’s title since the 2014-16 UConn three-peat. To maximize their chances, head coach Kim Mulkey built a superteam from recruiting and the portal. She has two top-7 freshmen and added Aneesah Morrow from DePaul and Hailey van Lith from Louisville.

Read More: Angel Reese Says She Can No Longer Attend Classes In Person

Reese “Insulted” By First ESPN Mock Draft

However, the media day wasn’t the first thing we’ve heard from Reese in the run-up to the season. Mulkey recently spoke on Reese’s negative reaction to ESPN projecting her to go eighth in the 2024 WNBA Draft. “That was an insult to her. We talked about the things she needs to work on. Whether she gets picked higher than that or not, it still motivates her. She gets motivated in practice with someone going head-to-head with her or talking trash back at her. She’s a competitor,” Mulkey said.

While Reese could play a fifth year in college thanks to the COVID exemption, she has made it clear that she is ready for the pros. “This is my senior year, and I have the opportunity to declare for the WNBA this year if I choose to. Personally, I aspire to make it to the WNBA. While I do have the option for another year, I do want to get out of college, start life outside of school, and pursue my WNBA dreams. It’s been a challenging but rewarding four years, and I’m excited to continue improving at LSU and beyond,” she told WNBA legend Lisa Leslie for Glamour.

Read More: Caitlin Clark Still Undecided About Declaring For WNBA Draft

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Angel Reese “Insulted” By ESPN’s WNBA Mock Draft

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Angel Reese may be about to start a new beef. Recently, her college coach spoke on Reese’s reaction to ESPN projecting her to be drafted eighth in the 2024 WNBA Draft. “That was an insult to her. We talked about the things she needs to work on. Whether she gets picked higher than that or not, it still motivates her. She gets motivated in practice with someone going head-to-head with her or talking trash back at her. She’s a competitor,” LSU head coach Kim Mulkey said.

Reese’s tumble to the second half of the first round was perhaps the biggest surprise of M.A. Voepel’s first WNBA mock draft of the year. Furthermore, Voepel chose to project Paige Bueckers as the second pick. Bueckers hasn’t played a full season since her freshman year and missed all of last season with an ACL tear. While the 2024 draft class is one of the strongest and deepest in years, it’s hard to see many teams passing on Reese. She was top-five in both points and rebounds per game last season.

Read More: Angel Reese Says She Can No Longer Attend Classes In Person

Reese Ready For The WNBA

Angel Reese
DALLAS, TEXAS – APRIL 02: Angel Reese #10 of the LSU Lady Tigers reacts during the fourth quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament championship game at American Airlines Center on April 02, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

While Reese could play a fifth year in college thanks to the COVID exemption, she has made it clear that she is ready for the pros. “This is my senior year, and I have the opportunity to declare for the WNBA this year if I choose to. Personally, I aspire to make it to the WNBA. While I do have the option for another year, I do want to get out of college, start life outside of school, and pursue my WNBA dreams. It’s been a challenging but rewarding four years, and I’m excited to continue improving at LSU and beyond,” she told WNBA legend Lisa Leslie for Glamour.

However, Reese isn’t going to be displaying any “senior-itis” this season. She fully intends to pursue another National Championship. Meanwhile, LSU is still hunting for their first SEC title since 2008 or their first conference tournament title since 2003. To aid Reese, Mulkey and the Tigers have built a bona fide superteam around her. Along with two top-ten freshmen, LSU added transfers Aneesah Morrow from DePaul and Hailey Van Lith from Louisville. The Tigers kick off their 2023-24 campaign in Vegas against Colorado.

Read More: Angel Reese And Shaq Link Up For “Put It On Da Floor Again” TikTok

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