Angel Reese: 'I'm feeling good' after ankle injury vs. Auburn, plans to play in SEC semifinal

LSU fans saw a sight they didn’t want to see in the fourth quarter when Angel Reese needed help getting to the stationary bike after suffering an injury against Auburn. She didn’t return – nor did any of the starters considering the 30-point victory – but was on the bench supporting her teammates as the game ended.

Afterward, Reese didn’t seem too worried about her injury during a postgame interview with SEC Network’s Brooke Weisbrod after sealing a spot in the tournament semifinal.

“I’m feeling good. It’s okay,” Reese said. “I roll my ankle all the time, so it’s fine.”

Reese finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds for her 21st double-double of the season to help LSU defeat Auburn 78-48. Of course, the Tigers have to turn around and play a game on Saturday in the SEC Tournament semifinal.

Despite the injury, Reese made it clear she plans to play.

“Oh, for sure,” Reese said. “I’m from Baltimore, and it’s what we do. I’m good.”

Reese headed straight to the bike behind the LSU bench as she tried to bounce back from the injury. The SEC Player of the Year later returned to the bench with just under two minutes remaining after Kim Mulkey pulled the starters.

Of course, a big reason why Mulkey could clear the bench was LSU’s 21-0 run to start the game. That set the tone as the Tigers kept their foot on the gas to cruise past Auburn. While Reese knows the challenges of playing the same team multiple times, setting the tone early was key for LSU.

“Playing a team three times is hard because everybody knows each other’s plays,” Reese said. “But I think we came out, we punched first, we executed. The last game back at home, we turned the ball over way too many times. So focusing on that. And of course, the key scorer – Honesty [Scott-Grayson] – stopping her and not having her score the first half was something that was key.”

Angel Reese won the SEC Player of the Year award this year, averaging 19.1 points, 13.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals heading into the SEC Tournament. It’s a strong follow-up to a huge debut season with the Tigers in 2022-23 with 23.0 points and 15.4 rebounds after transferring in from Maryland. In the process, she earned NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors as well as a unanimous first team All-American selection.