As Thanksgiving approaches, women's college basketball teams are gearing up for a series of tournaments in tropical destinations, with the LSU women's basketball team being no exception. This year, several top-tier teams, including No. 7 LSU, No. 2 UCLA, No. 6 UConn and No. 9 Virginia Tech, are set to participate in the inaugural women’s tournament in the Cayman Islands starting on Friday. However, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over LSU, particularly regarding the participation of standout player Angel Reese.
Reese, a key player for the Tigers, has been notably absent in the team's last two games and was benched for the second half of the game prior. The reasons for her absence have not been disclosed, leading to speculation about her availability for the upcoming tournament. Coach Kim Mulkey, addressing the situation, emphasized the importance of maintaining player privacy and dealing with internal team matters discreetly.
“You always have to deal with locker-room issues,” Mulkey said after LSU's recent victory over Texas Southern on Monday, as reported by the Associated Press. “I’m going to protect my players — always. They are like a family.”
Other teams prepare for holiday games
While the focus remains on LSU and the potential impact of Reese's absence, other top-ranked teams are also preparing for international play. Third-ranked Colorado and No. 10 NC State are scheduled to face off in the Virgin Islands, while No. 8 USC travels to the Bahamas.
Meanwhile, top-ranked South Carolina opted to stay home for the holiday after the team opened their 2023-24 season with an epic international game in Paris against Notre Dame. South Carolina's coach, Dawn Staley, acknowledges the unique benefits of participating in holiday tournaments abroad, pointing out the opportunity for team bonding and cultural experiences beyond the basketball court.
“I do think it’s super helpful to get out of your normal environment, your normal habits of actually being at home or it’s not a natural road game,” Daley said. “When you’re in another country, you tend to stick with each other a little tighter. You get a chance to experience other stuff, too, not just practice and games, you get to experience sightseeing and you take pictures and you have conversations about how they’re feeling and what’s going on.”
Domestic tournaments are also attracting top teams, with No. 4 Stanford heading to Nevada. Caitlin Clark along with fifth-ranked Iowa will travel to Florida on Friday. These tournaments give teams like Stanford and Iowa the chance to face other highly-ranked opponents, such as No. 13 Florida State and No. 18 North Carolina.
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