LSU basketball star Angel Reese made a strong comeback, scoring 19 points and grabbing nine rebounds in the Tigers‘ 82-64 victory over Virginia Tech.
Reese, the MVP of the Final Four last season, had been absent for the previous four games, describing it as a “reset” for her mental health.
“My mental health is the most important thing before anything,” Reese noted.
“And I’m going to make sure I’m OK before anything. Because I don’t want to cause anything, any harm or any cancer within the locker room.”
Meanwhile, LSU‘s coach, Kim Mulkey, alluded to “locker room issues” without explicitly stating a suspension.
“Mental health? I don’t want you to think Angel was trying to tell you that, OK,” Mulkey said.
“But we all, coaches included, have to take a deep breath sometimes.”
Reese stands out again
Reese, who has earned around 1.7 million dollars in the past year through Name, Image & Likeness deals, showed her prowess on the court, contributing significantly to LSU‘s 8-1 record.
Mulkey achieved a historic milestone, becoming the fastest coach in NCAA history, with 700 wins in 813 games.
“Oh, proud of her,” Mulkey said after Reese‘s performance on Thursday.
“Just proud. Angel is one of the best players I’ve ever coached. You saw her tonight. It was absolutely wonderful. Having Angel back is a shot in the arm.”