Ahead of her return to Baton Rouge, Reese credited coach Kim Mulkey for toughening her up and said, "My life just changed," after winning a national championship there in 2023.

Despite a late-season wrist injury that ended her run prematurely, Angel Reese arrives in full health for Friday’s contest, her surgically repaired wrist cleared for contact. This means that the WNBA All-Star and former NCAA champion will be ready to play in her long-awaited return to Baton Rouge, with LSU set to host the preseason game.

The 22-year-old produced a respectable rookie campaign in the WNBA as she led the league in rebounds for 2024, but is now targeting an even better year this time around - both on and off the court