The Bayou Barbie is back for the LSU women’s basketball team.
LSU coach Kim Mulkey announced today that star forward Angel Reese will be back with the Lady Tigers tomorrow night when they battle No. 9 Virginia Tech.
Reese, a junior, has been away from the team for several games for undisclosed reasons. Mulkey confirmed that Reese was back today, but again failed to say the reason for her hiatus, saying that she would be betraying the sanctity of the locker room if she gave more information.
The Lady Tigers are the defending NCAA Tournament Champions, but their title defense has been rocky. LSU is 7-1, but has not played at an elite level yet, losing their season-opening game to Colorado, then battling injuries and off the court issues since. In their last game, LSU was extremely short-handed and beat Virginia 76-73.
With Reese’s return, the Lady Tigers will be getting the services of one of the best players in the country. Last year, Reese averaged 23.0 points and 15.4 rebounds per game on the way to leading the Lady Tigers to the title.
But Reese’s dedication has come into question in the early stages of the season after a summer filled with NIL opportunities, making her a multi-million dollar student-athlete. Reese was last seen in LSU’s win over Kent State. She was pulled from that game late in the second quarter after shooting an early shot clock 3-pointer. She did not play the 2nd half of that game and has not played since. That was on Nov. 14.
Against Virginia Tech, LSU will have to be at their best. The Hokies are No. 9 in the country with their only loss coming to national powerhouse Iowa.
Tip-off will be set for 8 p.m. on ESPN.