Angel Reese didn’t provide many details about the ongoing LSU saga, but a six-word post on social media appeared to push back on reports surrounding her benching and mysterious absence from the team. “please don’t believe everything you read,” Reese wrote on X. Reese, who became one of women’s college basketball’s stars as the Tigers won the NCAA tournament in April, was benched in the second half of LSU’s game against Kent State on Tuesday, and she didn’t play Friday against Southeastern Louisiana.
Reese’s post on X occurred one day after she added a photo of an LSU court with a cart filled with basketballs to her Instagram story, though she didn’t provide any context to the photo or clarify whether it meant she was practicing with the team.
The strange sequence started Tuesday, when Reese scored 11 points in 13 minutes against Kent State but didn’t play across the final two quarters due to a coach’s decision, according to LSU head coach Kim Mulkey.
But three days later, when Reese didn’t even wear the Tigers’ uniform for their game, her status took a strange turn. “You want me to explain why? It’s very obvious Angel was not in uniform,” Mulkey said postgame Friday. “Angel is a part of this basketball team and we hope to see her sooner than later.” LSU, which won the national title last season behind Reese and entered 2023-24 as contenders again, lost its opener to then-No. 20 Colorado before winning its past five games.
please don’t believe everything you read.
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) November 19, 2023
Reese sits at No. 7 on On3.com’s NIL 100 at $1.7 million, trailing only Colorado two-way football star Travis Hunter, USC quarterback Caleb Williams, Texas quarterback Arch Manning, LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and USC basketball freshman — and LeBron James’ son — Bronny James. LSU hosts Texas Southern on Monday, and at this point, it’s unclear if Reese will return to the lineup.
