Is Angel Reese Back? Will the NCAA Champion Play vs Virginia Tech?

The Louisiana State University Lady Tigers is one of the most star-studded teams in the current NCAA season. It has the likes of Angel Reese, Flau’jae Johnson, and Hailey Van Lith. Their head coach Kim Mulkey before the season started was often probed with the same question in interviews regarding how she had managed to gel in a team that had so many champions.

And ultimately, the worst fear came true. Their power forward Angel Reese was made to sit out in their fourth game against Kent State after only playing for 13 minutes. Then some undisclosed issues hit the LSU such that Reese decided not to attend their next four games.

Why do the Lady Tigers need Angel Reese?

This led to a lot of fans speculating about a rift between Mulkey and the 21-year-old. Though nothing was overtly stated in the media and Mulkey would often avoid questions related to Reese, there were signs of cracks in the team.

However, on the court, the LSU performed exceptionally well as they won their next three games by blowout margins and also edged past the Virginia Cavaliers, proving that they were one of the strongest contenders for the championship.

Their next match is against the Virginia Tech Hokies, a team the LSU had squared off against during the semi-finals of the NCAA 2022-23 championship. The Baton Rouge team had then outfoxed the Hokies with a close margin of 79-72, winning the silverware ultimately by thrashing the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Final.

Meanwhile, the Tech Hokies are going strong in the ongoing season, emerging triumphant in their 5 out of six games. And the LSU thus definitely need their star player back.

Other than that Reese’s return will also account for the fact that the Lady Tigers’ forward Sa’Myah Smith had injured herself during their clash against the Niagara Purple Eagles. It was their sixth clash of the NCAA 2023-24 season and the third without Reese.

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Mulkey also announced on Wednesday that Smith was to the remaining season due to a diagnosed ligament and meniscus tear in her right knee. 

Will Reese be back?

Reese joined her team during practice before their clash against Virginia Tech on Thursday. She had previously also posted a story showing her practicing at the LSU’s court. Mulkey clearly stated that Angel Reese would be playing in this match and applauded her skills.

“She will play tomorrow,” Mulkey had divulged. “It’s a boost having her back, period. It’s not just against Virginia Tech. It’s just for our team. She’s just a tremendous player, one of the best players in the country.”

Talking about her brilliant skills, Mulkey expressed hope that Reese would be in her top form during her comeback- “I really think Angel will just be like Angel,” Mulkey added. “She’s just been really good in practice.”

But the reason for Reese’s absence remains unknown. Mulkey blamed “locker-room issues” for the LSU seeing the unprecedented situation in their current campaign. Mulkey also justified turning her back on controversial questions, stating it was her way to “protect my players”.

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Only LSU is aware of what transpired that led to Reese missing four games. But whatever may be the reason, Angel Reese certainly deserves a victorious return that raises the bar for her other teammates and shows that they are hard to beat.