Chicago Sky basketball star Angel Reese has finally revealed why she had to miss several games in her final season with the LSU Tigers.
In her new podcast, “Unapologetically Angel,” Reese talked about many aspects of her life, including revealing details about her push into the playoffs and chatting about her new brand deals.
For Louisiana fans, however, the most exciting part of the episode was that it solved the biggest mystery of her final season involving Kim Mulkey and the Tigers.
The first rumors emerged after LSU lost 92.78 in the season opener against Colorado in Las Vegas on November 6.
“After that, there was a huge uproar on social media (with people saying), ‘You’re not focused, I’m not focused and I’m not into basketball,’ which was not true,” Reese clarified.
Reese explained that she has “exploded” on social media since last season’s national championship game, earning her more positive and negative comments. She noted that it was difficult to juggle basketball, brand deals and even appearing in a music video because “it was the first time I was able to do so much at once.”
LSU won the next four games, but Reese said she was mentally unable to give herself, the team and her best during that time. The Tigers’ fourth win was on Nov. 14 against Kent State and after a normal debate with head coach Kim Mulkey, Reese respectfully sat out the second half.
“After the game, she and I talked about what to do next, and for me it was just best to take some time off,” Reese said.
Reese was away from the team for about two weeks, including a tournament trip to the Cayman Islands for Thanksgiving, but rumors circulated about the circumstances of her absence.
“People said I was suspended, I wasn’t playing because of my GPA, I was pregnant … all these crazy things,” Reese said.
She still texted her teammates and watched games, and the time off the field was “probably the hardest time” of her life, she said.
“I never took a break from basketball and I didn’t realize how important mental health is… when I came back, I felt like myself again,” she said with a snap of her fingers.
Reese said Mulkey respected her decision, which brought them closer together.
“She didn’t say publicly that I was suspended. She didn’t say anything. People made assumptions about what was going on… She protected me as best she could,” Reese said.
Mulkey was often asked by reporters what happened and when Reese would return. After LSU’s win over Southeastern Louisiana, Mulkey said, “Angel is a part of this basketball team and we hope to see her back sooner rather than later.”
Reese returned on November 30 to play against Virginia Tech, where she scored 19 points and nine rebounds.
