Overview
- Reese made a highly publicized return to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Thursday and received a standing ovation during a formal halftime recognition.
- LSU coach Kim Mulkey greeted Reese publicly and current players surprised her by wearing custom T-shirts in the locker room, a gesture Mulkey said shows Reese’s continuing influence on the program.
- With Reese watching from the sidelines, No. 9 LSU beat Texas Southern 131-22, a 109-point margin that the coverage reports as the largest in Division I women’s basketball history.
- Reese arrives fresh off a 2026 WNBA season in which she earned Defensive Player of the Year, set rebounding and center postseason scoring records, and helped the Atlanta Dream reach and lose Game 7 of the Finals.
- Reese has announced a planned six-month break and said she will focus on improving outside shooting, reducing fouls and turnovers, a pause that frames her near-term future around recovery and skill work rather than immediate play.