LSU Women's Basketball Star Angel Reese Faces Uncertainty as Drama Surrounds Her Absence

LSU women's basketball star, Angel Reese, has found herself at the center of controversy as she was absent from the court during Friday night's game against Southeastern Louisiana. The 21-year-old athlete, who rose to stardom last season after leading LSU to a national title, posted a picture on her Instagram story the following day, showcasing an empty LSU practice court with a cart of basketballs. This has led to speculation about her status and the reasons behind her absence.

Reese's absence comes amidst a season that has faced extra scrutiny for the No. 7 Tigers, despite their 5-1 record. The team faced an upset on opening night against Colorado, and since then, Reese has been facing additional challenges. She was benched in the second half of Tuesday's game against Kent State, labeled as a "coach's decision," and was not in uniform during Friday night's 73-50 victory over Southeastern Louisiana.

Head coach Kim Mulkey addressed the situation during her postgame press conference on Friday night but provided little clarity. When asked about Reese's absence, Mulkey simply stated, "You want me to explain why? It's very obvious Angel was not in uniform. Angel is a part of this basketball team, and we hope to see her sooner than later."

The situation has prompted former teammate Alexis Morris to share her thoughts on social media platform X. Morris expressed her support for Reese and defended the athlete's decision to pursue NIL deals and media coverage. "I never ever ever wanted to be at odds, or cared about likes, media, NIL, none of those things," Morris wrote. "I just wanted to hoop. I come from a different generation of players; we did not have all this when I was in HSNIL is a plus! Media coverage is a plus in my eyes."

Meanwhile, Reese herself took to TikTok to share a slideshow of flowers, seemingly from her boyfriend, Cam'ron Fletcher, a basketball player at Florida State. In the caption, Reese hinted at the pressures she has been facing, stating, "Knowing I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders & everyday isn't easy for me, you always ALWAYS make sure I'm good."

Despite the ongoing drama and uncertainty, Reese has managed to maintain strong performances on the court this season, averaging 17 points and 10.3 rebounds in her first four games. LSU's next game is scheduled for Monday night against Texas Southern.

Reese's former teammates, including Morris, have also become entangled in the drama surrounding the star player and coach Kim Mulkey. However, Morris refrained from criticizing Mulkey, stating, "You can't pay me to bash Kim." She emphasized the importance of loyalty over clout and expressed her belief that true love and support will always prevail.

Another former LSU star, Jasmin Carson, hinted at underlying tensions but did not disclose any further details. "Y'all better hope I don't say anything...because it would be breaking news," Carson wrote on X.

The drama surrounding Reese's absence has spilled over onto social media, with Reese's mother, Angel Reese Webb, and Flau'jae Johnson's mother, Kia Brooks, engaging in a heated exchange on Instagram. The argument revolved around grammatical errors and academic performance, with Brooks suggesting that Reese had a GPA of 2.0 or less. These developments have added further complexity to the already tumultuous situation.

While Coach Mulkey has referred to Reese's benching as a "coach's decision," Glenn Guilbeau, a long-time LSU athletics reporter for OutKick, has reported that Reese's absence was intended to foster an "attitude adjustment."

As the LSU women's basketball program navigates this challenging period, the true reasons behind Reese's absence remain unclear. Fans and supporters are left eagerly awaiting her return to the court and hoping for a resolution to the ongoing drama.