Angel Reese’s absence and return for LSU, explained by what we know

Angel Reese is finally back in the LSU lineup. Head coach Kim Mulkey won’t say why she’s been out.

Angel Reese was pulled from the LSU lineup at halftime of the team’s Nov. 14 win over Kent State. Reese has not played a game for the Tigers since, and head coach Kim Mulkey has given little explanation for her absence.

Reese is now set to make her return to the court as LSU takes on Virginia Tech in a matchup of top-10 teams on Thursday night. The game will be shown on ESPN.

Reese became one of the most recognizable college athletes in the world during LSU’s run to the national championship last season. The First-Team All-American gained a new level of notoriety in the title game for going back-and-forth with Iowa star Caitlin Clark. Reese taunted Clark relentlessly as the clock was running out, and then beefed with Jill Biden when the First Lady initially tried to invite Iowa to the White House, too.

Speculation has been flying about Reese’s absence from LSU. Reese was not on the bench for the team’s last four games. Another Tigers player, Kateri Poole, has also been pulled from the lineup without explanation. With Reese returning vs. Virginia Tech, here’s what we actually know about why she wasn’t playing.

Kim Mukley won’t say publicly why Angel Reese hasn’t been playing

Mulkey was asked why Reese was benched in the second half of the team’s game against Kent State. Here’s what she said:

“I could, but I won’t,” Mulkey said. “It was just a coach’s decision.”

LSU faced SE Louisiana next. Reese wasn’t in the lineup, and wasn’t even on the bench. Mulkey was asked why, and said “we hope to see her sooner rather than later.”

LSU then beat Texas Southern without Reese in the lineup once again. Why? Mulkey described it as a locker room issue. Here’s what the coach had to say:

“You always have to deal with locker room issues,” Mulkey said in a postgame news conference. “Sometimes you don’t know about it. Sometimes you want to know more than you’re entitled to know. I’m going to protect my players, always. They are more important.”

Mulkey was asked if she had decided if Reese will make the trip.

“If I have, I wouldn’t tell you, OK?” she said. “You’re not entitled to that information.”

Reese was again out of the lineup and not on the bench as LSU traveled to the Cayman Islands Classic. The Tigers went 2-0 in the event, but narrowly avoided losing to Virginia by coming away with a three-point win.

Mulkey continued to be combative with the press regarding questions about Reese:

Mulkey finally announced that Reese will return against Virginia Tech. The timing seems convienient with a top-10 opponent on the schedule and Mulkey having the chance to win career game No. 700.

Here’s what Mulkey said in announcing Reese’s return.

What has Angel Reese said about her absence?

Not much. Reese put out this post on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter:

Reese then posted this video to TikTok where she used audio from a recent Deion Sanders interview:

Speculation about Angel Reese’s absence has been flying

Mulkey could have ended the guessing game about why Reese wasn’t with the team by giving reporters clear answers to her questions. She chose not to do that.

There have been two main rumors about Reese: that she was away from the team for an “attitude adjustment,” and that it was an academic issue.

Reese wasn’t eligible for the Wooden Award last year because she didn’t meet the academic criteria. Mulkey said Reese was “academically fine” when she wasn’t on the Wooden Award watch list, and she was able to compete for the Tigers on their run to the national title.

The “attitude adjustment” rumor came from a reporter tied in with the program, but has never been confirmed.

Angel Reese is back when LSU needs her most

LSU shockingly lost their season-opener to Colorado with Reese in the lineup. The team hasn’t lost since, but a close win over Virginia showed just how badly this team needs their star big back on the floor.

Virginia Tech is the type of team LSU could see late in the NCAA tournament. With the game on ESPN and Mulkey having a chance to hit 700 wins, there’s sure to be a ton of attention around the matchup. We’ll update this story as it develops.