Angel Reese is one of the most well-known female athletes in the US. The basketball player with the LSU Tigers is recognized for her fiery playing style and attitude.
After all, who can forget her iconic and controversial hand gesture toward Caitlin Clark during the 2022-23 NCAA women’s basketball national championship?
Reese is in hot water again because the player has seemingly been benched and suspended. But why has such a star player been shown the door?
LSU Tiger’s women’s team’s Angel Reese was benched in the second half of the game vs Kent State on November 14, 2023. Fox News and sports journalist Glenn Guilbeau said she could have been suspended due to attitude problems. Some think it’s because of her low GPA of 2.0. Reese’s agent, Jeanine Ogbonnaya, declined to comment.
Why Is Angel Reese Suddenly Suspended?
Angel Reese didn’t play in the second half of the recent basketball game against Kent State on Tuesday, November 14, 2023.
The reigning national champions did win 109-79 over the lightly-regarded team, but Reese was nowhere to be found after she secured five rebounds and 11 points in 13 minutes of the first half.
Reese’s sudden benching made everyone ask if she had been suspended. On Friday, Coach Kim Mulkey gave a cheeky answer about Angel’s status for the Friday game at Southeastern Louisiana.
“I guess you better have a ticket to see, huh. All right, you better get a ticket and see.”
Fox News termed the answer a “non-denial denial,” which certainly seemed so. However, further reports have confirmed that she isn’t on the team for the game and has been suspended.
So, what’s up with the BET Sportswoman of the Year?
LSU hasn’t been having a great season against top teams for now. The No. 1 team lost to No. 20 Colorado in its second game of the season on November 6 in Las Vegas. Reese boasted 12 rebounds and 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting in that game.
Back then, Coach Mulkey had said after the devastating loss:
“I’m disappointed and surprised in some players I thought would be tougher and have a little fight and leadership about them.”
The comment was vague, and Mulkey didn’t single out any players, but fans did think that Reese was one of the players this was directed at. However, the coach didn’t stop with the fiery words at that:
“You live with poor shooting. You live with a tough night offensively. What I don’t live with is no guts and fight and physical play. You have to have that dog in you, and I don’t think we had it tonight.”
Many have attributed Reese getting benched as a result of her poor performance. Some have defended the athlete and mentioned exhaustion as a reason for that.
After all, she traveled the country to get various accolades like the ESPY for Best Breakthrough Athlete once LSU won the championship.
Also, she was featured on the magazine cover of the Sports Illustrated Money Issue with Olivia Dunne. However, sports trades say something else.
As per Fox News, there have been whispers of Angel Reese having attitude problems for a long time. Backing this up was Glenn Guilbeau (via BroBible), a sports journalist who has covered LSU for upwards of 20 years.
Another reason for the suspension could be her low GPA. Reese’s mom and teammate, Flau’jae’s mom, reportedly started beefing on social media, and the latter said to defend her daughter:
“You definitely know about grammar errors when your daughter has a 2.0 or less GPA.”
Reese’s agent, Jeanine Ogbonnaya, declined to comment on her suspension. She just said:
“I really don’t have much information for you.”
The sports information department of LSU also didn’t comment on the matter.
After Reese was benched, Mikaylah Williams, a freshman, took over and scored 32 points in the second half. So, could Williams have secured her spot in the team over Reese?
It’s early days to determine that. But the suspension and benching show that Reese isn’t as much of a priority for LSU as previously thought.
What do you think is going on with Angel Reese? Why has her playing form been average? Has the coach suspended her for attitude issues?
Let us know what you think of the situation in the comments below.
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