There was once a conspicuously empty seat at the LSU bench on Friday, which most effective raised the quantity on questions on what is going on with Angel Reese.
Final season’s NCAA Event Maximum Remarkable Participant was once nowhere to be noticed all through the Tigers’ recreation in opposition to Southeastern Louisiana. No rationalization was once given for the absence prior to the sport, and LSU head trainer Kim Mulkey declined to offer one after, in keeping with The Suggest’s Reed Darcey
“Angel was once no longer in uniform. Angel is part of this basketball workforce, and we are hoping she’s again with the workforce quickly. I am not gonna resolution to any extent further than that.”
Reese’s absence got here 3 days after she was once benched in the second one part of a win in opposition to Kent State. When requested why she sat Reese and senior guard Kateri Poole, Mulkey once more declined to supply any element.
“I may, however I may not,” Mulkey mentioned. “It was once only a trainer’s determination.”
That benching kicked off some very public in-fighting for the LSU program.
It is by no means a just right signal when the avid gamers’ folks are feuding on social media. Reese’s mom Angel Webb Reese posted a weirdly pointed message about grammar, sans punctuation, to her Instagram tale on Wednesday, writing:
“Other people pls don’t despatched me lengthy textual content msgs with a number of grammatical mistakes it provides me a headache [facepalm emoji] how do I do know you mentioned what you mentioned if I will’t perceive what you are pronouncing [facepalm emoji] [cry-laughing emoji]”
The obvious goal of that message was once Kia Brooks, mom of LSU sophomore Flau’jae Johnson, who gave the impression to reply with a long IG tale of her personal that, amongst different issues, claimed Reese had a “2.0 or much less GPA,” accused the elder Reese of being “petty, faux and hateful and prompt her to take duty for her and her daughter’s movements.
Avid gamers on final 12 months’s championship workforce additionally were given into it, with Alexa Morris posting a chain of cryptic tweets early Thursday morning during which she gave the impression to take Mulkey’s facet:
switched as much as gang up on me. now yall fall-in out. don’t ever make a choice clout over loyalty unfastened recreation. I confirmed actual love no longer for advertising and marketing politics not anything. however the realist at all times succeed 🤞🏽🤷🏽♀️
— Alexis Morris (@AlexisMorrisWBB) November 16, 2023
are we able to simply all get by myself? heck no that’s over with.
— Alexis Morris (@AlexisMorrisWBB) November 16, 2023
You’ll’t pay me to bash Kim‼️‼️‼️
— Alexis Morris (@AlexisMorrisWBB) November 16, 2023
Jasmine Carson reportedly added “y’all higher hope I do not say not anything” in a tweet that isn’t these days to be had, once more confirming one thing is going on at the back of the scenes.
None of this smacks of a program in a specifically solid position, which is wild to peer for the reason that each and every participant and trainer above had been celebrating a step forward nationwide championship most effective months in the past. Reese specifically noticed her megastar upward push, seeing standard protection over her interplay with Caitlin Clark, a Sports activities Illustrated go well with unfold, some White Area drama and an look in a Cardi B song video.
Reese entered this season as one of the vital best avid gamers within the nation and a possible best pick out within the 2024 WNBA draft. Mulkey even praised her center of attention at the upcoming season in spite of such a lot of offseason distractions a pair months in the past, however it kind of feels one thing has modified within the time since.
LSU has noticed on-court turbulence as smartly, shedding its season opener to Colorado. The Tigers these days sit down at No. 7 within the AP Ballot.
