Angel Reese, LSU’s single-season record holder for double-doubles, has been named a semifinalist for Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Thursday.
The woman’s head coach Kim Mulkey was also named a semifinalist for the Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year on Thursday. Tuesday, March 21, the finalists will be announced.
Reese was also named to the All-SEC First Team and All-Defensive Team on last week. The Baltimore native joined LSU prior to the season as the nation’s No. 1 impact transfer and she definitely made an impact for the Tigers from the start as she has led the SEC with 23.4 points per game and 15.5 rebounds per game.
Reese recorded 23 straight double-doubles from the start of the season, making her the new record holder in LSU history and by a SEC player ever to begin a season. In 28 games, she has 27 double-doubles, tied with Sylvia Fowles for the most in a season by an LSU player.
With seven SEC Player of the Week honors throughout the week, including the final two weeks of the regular season, Reese set the conference single-season record.
Reese has five games this season with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds to lead the nation. Prior to the 2022-2023 season, there were only 19 recorded 20/20 games in program history.
Against Texas A&M on January 5 in Baton Rouge, Reese went for 26 points and a LSU record 28 rebounds – the most by a player in the SEC since the conference started sponsoring women’s basketball during the 1981-82 season.
Against Ole Miss on February 16, Reese had another impressive performance. She set a career-high with 36 points and hauled in 20 rebounds against Ole Miss, her fourth game of the season with 20+ points and 20+ rebounds.
It marked the first time since 1978 (Maree Jackson) that a LSU player had 30+ points or 35+ points and 20+ rebounds. It marked the 11th time in LSU history a player had 30 and 20 and it was the seventh time a player had 35 and 20.
Jackson had previously recorded all of LSU’s 35/20 games. Julie Gross had one 30/20 game. Gross, Jackson and Reese are the only three players in LSU history to record 30/20 games.
Reese’s 36 points were the most by a LSU player since Cornelia Gayden scored 49 vs. Jackson State in 1995.
The Baltimore, Maryland native has made history at every turn throughout the season.
In LSU’s win over Lamar on December 14, Reese did something that no pro or college basketball player has done in at least the past 20 years per @OptaStats on twitter.
Reese is the only NBA, WNBA or Division I men’s or women’s player in the last 20 years to have at least 30+ points, 15+ rebounds, 4+ assists, 4+ steals and shoot over 80-percent in the same game.
With 30-point games against Lamar and Montana State, Reese became the first LSU player since Elaine Powell in the 1995-96 season with consecutive 30+ point games.
At Florida on February 19, Reese had 25 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals in LSU’s win at Florida, marking the first time over the past 20 seasons that an SEC players has had at least 25 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists in a conference game.