Angel Reese: 'We knew what Poa wanted from us, tonight was for Poa'

The No. 2 seed LSU Tigers managed to battle through some serious adversity on Saturday night in their SEC Tournament semifinal matchup vs. the Ole Miss Rebels. LSU had their guard, Last-Tear Poa, stretchered off the floor after she suffered a hard hit in the game.

Still, the Tigers managed to pull out the win 75-67, in honor of their teammate. Following the win, LSU superstar Angel Reese shared an emotional message for Poa with the ESPNU broadcast crew.

“We knew what Poa wanted from us,” Reese began. “It was for Poa tonight and being able to come together. I mean, I’m emotional just because she brings so much to the team. And hope she’s okay. So, tonight was for Poa. We’re gonna go back and check on her.”

She shared one final message for her teammate. “I love you Poa,” Reese said after blowing a kiss into the TV cameras.

More information on Last-Tear Poa

A scary scene developed in the fourth quarter of the LSU–Ole Miss SEC women’s basketball tournament quarterfinal as Tigers junior guard Last-Tear Poa suffered what appeared to be a head and neck injury after her head hit the floor. She was eventually stretchered off the court.

After initially staying down for a number of minutes, Poa got up with the help of her teammates but was clearly struggling to support herself on her own two feet. After trainers came over to help her off the floor, she was shortly laid back down.

Then the stretcher was taken out to Poa, who was put in a neck brace and stabilized on a back board to prevent further displacement or her head and neck. It’s a common precaution when transporting anyone with an unidentified head and neck injury.

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey also quickly came out to comfort Poa, and apparently told the LSU team that Poa had movement in her limbs as she was being attended to.

Shortly after she was taken from the arena and off for further evaluation, ESPNU sideline reporter Brooke Weisbrod shared that she was being taken from the arena to a local hospital. Poa had been placed in a protective neck brace and stabilized on a board, common procedures for someone with an undiagnosed head and neck injury.

And after attending to Poa along with medical staff on the floor, LSU head coach Kim Mulkey came back to her huddle and reassured her distraught players, noting that the guard had been moving her extremities and limbs prior to being removed, according to Weisbrod.

The LSU Women’s Basketball Twitter page also released a statement on Saturday evening. “Poa suffered a concussion, but has movement and feeling throughout her body. She is expected to be released from the hospital tonight.”

On3’s Andrew Graham also contributed to this article.