The Bayou Barbie is back on the court, and she has an important message for fans and critics alike. “My mental health is the most important before anything, and I’m gonna make sure I’m okay before anything because I don’t wanna cause any harm or cancer in the locker room,” she said this in the post-game press conference after making a comeback against the Virginia Tech Hokies.  This was her first game after a gap of more than two weeks during which rumors swirled of a spat with HC Kim Mulkey and her being benched for not having the right attitude. However, she returned after a four-game absence and shed light on why she was missing in action.

Angel Reese scored 19 points against the Virginia Tech Hokies on December 1, leading her team to a victory with an eventual scoreline of 82-64. However, the highlight of the evening was the post-game press conference, where she took center stage and put many rumors to rest.

Kim Mulkey emphasized on the “sacredness of locker room”

Kim Mulkey, head coach of the LSU Lady Tigers, was often asked a lot of questions regarding Reese in the last few weeks.  She would either overtly avoid those firing speculations or just shut haters by mentioning that she wanted to “protect my players.”

When asked about the prolonged absence of the LSU Tigers forward in the games, the former Louisiana Tech guard responded, “I could give you the exact whatever you were looking for and there were still going to be things written that you interpreted the way you wanted to interpret it.”

Mulkey would also go on to draw on the “sacredness of locker room” and deny revealing any personal piece of information regarding Reese. This led to further suppositions. Some believed Reese had a fallout with her teammate Flau’jae Johnson, whereas others stated that it was due to Reese’s low college grades that she had to be suspended. 

Reese’s mother, Angel Webb Reese, had criticized her daughter’s LSU teammate Flau’jae Johnson’s mother on social media. She took a dig at her, pointing out her grammatical errors. She even went on to say that “it gives me a headache.” This hit Johnson’s mother, Kia Brooks, who gave Webb Reese a taste of her own medicine by taking a dig at Angel’s college grades. She remarked that Webb Reese was being “petty, fake and hateful” and that Angel had “2.0-or-less grade point average.” This further raised concerns regarding Reese’s absence.

Deion Sanders and Shaquille O’Neal help Angel Reese come back to her feet 

Fans breathed a sigh of relief when Reese posted an Instagram story that showed her practicing on the LSU court. She further posted a Deion Sanders voiceover video that stated, ‘What about me would make you think that I care about your opinion of me?’

In the post-game conference on December 1, Reese revealed the reasons behind her absence. She attributed it to mental health concerns.

Mental health concerns for college athletes remain a real and pressing concern in American Universities. In a 2021 study conducted by the NCAA, nearly 30 % of athletes in college programs reported feeling mentally exhausted. NCAA Chief Medical Officer Brian Hainline acknowledged this issue when he said, “It’s imperative on all of us to keep talking about the issues to destigmatize what it means to address your mental health and lift up those voices who are brave enough to do so.”

However, much to everyone’s relief, Reese had a positive story to share. A beaming Reese couldn’t seem happier and at ease after the game when she greeted reporters with a, “How happy are you to see me? I know y’all are. Let’s have some fun.

“It was a long two weeks to be away from the team. Taking time for yourself is really important. I just felt like that was something that was important, resetting and refocusing within the team. I’m just happy to be back, and this place was amazing tonight. I’m just happy to be here with them.”

Though the LSU won all four games without Reese, Reese contributed with 19 points in her comeback game. She was also honored only a few minutes before the commencement of the contest for her 1,000th career rebound.

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Reese also divulged that her “uncle” and famous NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal was her support during all this tough time. She “face-timed every day,” and the 4x NBA champion would motivate her low spirits by mentioning, “This too shall pass.”

And in case you were wondering about her relationship with Kim Mulkey, she put an end to all rumors of a rift with her coach when she gave a long hug to her coach on the sidelines. It was a good night for Kim Mulkey, too, who reached a milestone by becoming the quickest coach to record 700 wins in the NCAA. Additionally, Reese thanked Mulkey by indicating that “I’m at LSU because of Kim Mulkey”.

The respect was mutual as  Mulkey praised Reese for her exceptional talent. She said, “Angel is one of the best players I’ve ever coached.”

Reese also accused her haters of spreading hearsay and demanded an apology on her Instagram story. “Just make sure that apology is as loud as the disrespect,” she posted. This was the final nail in the coffin of anyone who was spreading rumors about her.

Reese ended the presser on a high with these words, “I’m back, and I’m happy. I’m here, and I’m moving forward. I’m going to take this team and help take this team as far as I can.” Fans can’t wait to see more of her and we look forward to seeing more of her too.

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