On Friday night Chicago Sky star Angel Reese recorded her 26th double-double of the season (24 points and 12 rebounds) in a 92-78 home win over the Sparks.
That outstanding performance brings her just two shy of tying the league record in a season held by Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas (28). Reese also extended her league record of 10 or more rebounds in a game to 28 games.
Why Did Angel Reese Miss Two Weeks Of College Hoops Season In 2023?
The Rookie of the Year candidate played arguably her best offensive game of the season, while also providing strong defense.
Reese’s rebounding, toughness and defense have long been her staple and are a huge reason the LSU Tigers won the 2023 NCAA championship and made the Elite Eight this past season.
But not all was peachy for Reese this past season, her final one in Baton Rouge. In fact, Reese had a very odd hiatus at the beginning of last season, something that she finally addressed on her new podcast, “Unapologetically Angel.”
Angel Clears The Air
Reese who’s become known for simply being unapologetic, spoke about her disappearing act at the beginning of last season.
After the defending champion Tigers’ season opening loss to Colorado, the chatter was loud, and Reese was at the center of it.
Following the loss and a win over Kent State in which she was benched for the entire second half, Reese says she wasn’t herself. Reese says the two weeks off were for her mental health and so she wouldn’t become a cancer to the team.
“Coming back to practice, the vibes were kind of weird,” Reese said. “Obviously, the energy was pretty weird in practice because everyone was like we just lost our first game, we don’t know what to do and then our next game wasn’t for another two weeks.’
“I didn’t feel like it was in a good mental space for my own team and myself and just being able to give my best self,” Reese added. “Me and Kim Mulkey got into it about something in the Kent State game, which is normal, and I respectfully sat the second half.”
Why Did Angel Reese Disappear For A Few Weeks After Colorado Loss In 2023: Rumors of Pregnancy, Academic Failure
Reese went on to say her absence from the Cayman Islands Classic was huge for her and gave her the time she took to reflect and reset before rejoining the Tigers. She also credited the aforementioned Mulkey for allowing her time to step away and get herself right.
Reese Quells Low GPA And Pregnancy Notion
Rumors ran with many different stories as to why Reese was absent. One was her GPA was low, and another was that was pregnant. Reese expounded as to why neither was true.
“People saying I was suspended, wasn’t playing because of my GPA, I was pregnant, all these crazy things,” Reese said. “Everything they could think of and they didn’t even know what was going on.”
The former All-American took some much needed away from the spotlight and game in what she says was “probably the hardest time in my life.”
The move seemed to ignite something in Reese and her teammates, as she once again made a deep NCAA Tournament run which ended in an Elite Eight loss to Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes.
