LSU Star Angel Reese Returning to Play Despite Ongoing Mystery Over Her Absence

Angel Reese is back. After missing the last four games for undisclosed reasons, Reese is returning to the LSU Tigers women's basketball team on Thursday night to take on Virginia Tech. LSU head coach Kim Mulkey is ready to have Reese back in the lineup as the team looks to make another run at the national title. 

"It's a boost having her back," Mulkey said, per ESPN. "She's a tremendous player, one of the best in the country. She gives us a good matchup with [Elizabeth] Kitley, but it's not just for this game — it's for the rest of the season." During LSU's fourth game of the season, Reese was benched during the second half against Kent State. She did not travel with the Tigers to the Cayman Islands during Thanksgiving for the Cayman Islands Classic. 

The good news for the Tigers is they went 4-0 during Reese's absence. Reese was not at the news conference on Wednesday and has not commented on her absence other than a post on social media that says "Please don't beleive everything you read." Mulkey told the media that the ordeal with Reese was an internal team matter and the public didn't need to know. 

Reese, 21, joined LSU last year after spending two seasons with the Maryland Terrapins. In her first season with LSU, Reese was named a unanimous All-American and helped LSU win the national championship last year while being named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player. In an interview with Glamour earlier this year, Reese talked about how last year was one of the defining moments in her career. 

"I remember my freshman year, when I had high expectations but ended up breaking my foot, sidelining me for 15 games," Reese said. "I faced another setback when, eight months later, I needed surgery and had a rod placed in my leg. That period was incredibly challenging for me as a 17-year-old freshman and shook my confidence. Dealing with such a significant injury was tough and marked my first major setback. However, I managed to bounce back in my sophomore year and performed well. Eventually, I transferred, and I believe that was the turning point. Making it onto the USA team felt like everything coming full circle for me this year."