The LSU Tigers, 2022-23 women’s college basketball’s national champions, were without their best player — Angel Reese — on Friday night.
The No. 7 Tigers, who are just 11 days removed from getting upset by No. 20 Colorado in their first game of the season, beat Southeastern Louisiana, 73-50, on Friday without Reese.
This comes on the heels of Reese’s second-half benching during LSU’s 109-79 win over Kent State on Tuesday night.
After Friday’s win, head coach Kim Mulkey addressed the situation but gave little reason for the move.
“You want me to explain why? It’s very obvious Angel was not in uniform,” Mulkey told reporters. “Angel is a part of this basketball team and we hope to see her sooner than later.”
The unanimous first-team All-American finished Tuesday’s game with 11 points and five rebounds while notably logging just over 13 first-half minutes.
Mulkey described Reese’s halftime benching — when the Lady Tigers led Kent State 39-37 before pulling away in the final 20 minutes — as a “coach’s decision.”
Asked Thursday whether Reese would start Friday — and whether Brooklyn native and South Shore High School alum Kateri Poole would play after being benched the entire Kent State game — Mulkey replied, “You better get a ticket and see,” according to ESPN.
Friday’s development is the latest in what has appeared to be a tumultuous title defense for LSU, though the team is off to a winning start, albeit against inferior competition to this point.
Mulkey has pointed to the team’s defense, particularly citing energy and effort as sources of consternation, per ESPN.
Mulkey previously blamed the loss to Colorado on roster returnees, suggesting, “Some individual players who I thought would be tougher, have a little fight and some leadership about them,” she said then.
The Tigers won’t appear to be seriously opposed in this portion of their schedule but do have noteworthy battles ahead against 3-0 Virginia on Nov. 25 as part of the Cayman Islands Challenge, and on Nov. 30, they’ll host No. 9 Virginia Tech as part of the SEC/ACC Challenge.