Is Angel Reese leaving LSU? Taking a look at internet theories amid CBB star's alleged LSU suspension

Angel Reese has been in the headlines in recent weeks after a series of controversies continued to spring out of Baton Rouge. The LSU forward was absent in the game against Southeastern Louisiana, sparking rumors of the program placing her under suspension.

Notably, Reese was earlier benched in the second half of the game against Kent State despite scoring 11 points in 13 minutes in the first half. The sequence of events has brought about rumors of Reese planning to leave LSU for another basketball program.

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Is Angel Reese leaving LSU?

The rumors of Angel Reese leaving LSU are beginning to gain traction. However, there's little chance that will happen, especially for the fact that she's in her senior year and looking to enter the WNBA Draft in 2024. The focus at the moment is not changing her environment.

Also, the NCAA transfer portal is not open for a player to make a switch. That pretty much rules out the possibility of the forward leaving the Tigers at the moment. The option of sitting out till the portal opens is on the table, but Reese is very unlikely to consider that.

More importantly, Angel Reese has built a name for herself since starting her college basketball career at LSU. She led the program to its first national title last season, winning the NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player. This will definitely be the wrong time for her to make an exit.

Amidst the rumors of a potential exit, Angel Reese has defended herself. In a recent post on X (formerly called Twitter), the LSU star urged fans to disregard the rumors.

"Please don't believe everything you read," Reese wrote.

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Why is Angel Reese not playing with LSU?

A couple of factors could have been responsible for Reese's absence in the win against Southeastern Louisiana. She had a fallout in the team following the Tigers’ rocky start to the season. Coach Kim Mulkey refused to address her absence.

“Angel was not in uniform. Angel is a part of this basketball team, and we hope she's back with the team soon. I'm not going to answer any more than that.”

The situation was further complicated by the social media altercation between her mother and that of her teammate, Flau'jae Johnson. Despite the current outlook, Reese is expected to return to the team soon.