Angel Reese named semifinalist for Naismith Player of the Year

ATLANTA, Ga. (BRPROUD) – Angel Reese has been named a semifinalist for Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Thursday.

Coach Kim Mulkey was also named a semifinalist for the Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year on Thursday. The finalists for both awards will be announced on Tuesday, March 21.

Reese joined LSU prior to the season rated as the nation’s No. 1 impact transfer and she made an immediate impact for the Tigers, leading the SEC with 23.4 points per game and 15.5 rebounds per game.

She recorded a double-double in the first 23 games of the season, the longest streak in LSU history and the longest streak by an SEC player ever to begin a season. Through 28 games, Reese had 27 double-doubles, tied with Sylvia Fowles for the most ever 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 this season, there were only 19 recorded 20/20 games in program history.

Against Texas A&M on Jan. 5 in Baton Rouge, Reese went for 26 points and an LSU record of 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 Feb. 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 an 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 an 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 Dec. 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% in the same game.

Reese became the first LSU player since Elaine Powell in the 1995-96 season with consecutive 30+ point games.

At Florida on Feb. 19, Reese had 25 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals, marking the first time over the past 20 seasons that an SEC player had at least 25 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists in a conference game.

2023 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year Semifinalists

(Press release provided by LSU Athletics)