There are two undisputed truths when it comes to LSU women’s basketball.

1. The Tigers have played a weak schedule, void of any true tests so far this season.
2. Angel Reese is one of the best players in the country.

The combination of these truths makes it difficult for Reese to truly showcase her talent. Through 12 games (and 12 wins) for LSU, Reese is averaging a double-double and is one of two players to record one in all of her team’s contests. The second is Lauren Gustin of BYU, though the Cougars have played 11 games to LSU’s 12.

Reese is sixth in the country with 24.6 points per game, first with 14.6 rebounds per game and 12th with a 63.5 shooting percentage. She’s been LSU’s top scorer in eight of their 12 games, and the top rebounder in all but one.

Those are Player of the Year numbers.

But those performances have not come against Player-of-the-Year competition.

Up to LSU’s 87-55 win over Oregon State on Sunday, the Tigers’ opponents list was as follows: Bellarmine, Mississippi Valley State, Western Carolina, Howard, Northwestern State, George Mason, UAB, SE Louisiana, Tulane, Lamar and Montana State. The Tigers are winning their games by an average of 44 points per game, and while other top-25 teams are testing themselves, the No. 11 team in the country is not.

LSU has yet to play a ranked team, whereas every other top-25 team has taken on another top-25 squad at some point this season. The Tigers’ opponents are also low on the NET rankings, with only two teams they’ve played so far (Tulane and Oregon State) ranking in the top 100, three in the top 200 (Montana State, UAB and George Mason) and the rest sitting at 269 or below.

It’s hard to take LSU seriously with its slate of opponents, which unfortunately for Reese, makes it hard to take her seriously as a POY candidate.

Angel Reese Takes It Coast to Coast 🏝️

📺 https://t.co/n0rQXmVq6m pic.twitter.com/gTE3NTXvWF

— LSU Women's Basketball (@LSUwbkb) December 19, 2022

Regardless of the circumstances, Reese is doing everything she can to get her name in the conversation. On Sunday, the sophomore forward put up her best numbers against the Beavers, the best team LSU has played so far at 64th in the NET rankings. Reese finished with 25 points and 20 rebounds to lead her team to victory.

Reese has played against elite competition before, just not as a Tiger. She played two seasons at Maryland, improving over her freshman and sophomore years before transferring to LSU in May. In her first season at Maryland, Reese averaged 10 points, six rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in 15.1 minutes of playing time. She increased those numbers to 17.8 points and 10.6 rebounds as a sophomore, while also contributing 1.1 blocks in 25.9 minutes per contest.

As a Tiger, Reese has continued her double-double prowess while adding 2.9 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.4 blocks per game.

She played arguably her two best games at Maryland against the best competition the NCAA has to offer . She had 20 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to South Carolina last December, and then 25 points and nine rebounds in a loss to Stanford in the Sweet 16 of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. There’s no reason to think she won’t have similar success this year in an LSU uniform, but POY awards can’t be given based on assumptions, so she’ll have to prove it when the time comes.

Angel Reese went off. 😤

(h/t @OptaSTATS) pic.twitter.com/aeSAYDScwB

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) December 15, 2022

Another positive for Reese is consistency. Even against low-level teams, players have bad games, but the forward has had a similar output in every game with the double-doubles to prove it. Reese is shooting an efficient 63.5 percent from the field, a mark that puts her at 12th in the country. She’s not forcing shots nor completely dominating the ball, though both would be easy to do in blowout games. Instead, she’s letting the game come to her and making the most of her opportunities.

Reese has a legitimate shot at the Player of the Year award despite her team’s cakewalk schedule. LSU is an AP top-25 team, meaning she gets plenty of eyes on her each week, and they have upcoming SEC games against No. 21 Arkansas and No. 1 South Carolina. If Reese has big performances against those teams — especially against the Gamecocks and reigning POY Aliyah Boston on Feb. 12 — her case for this year’s award becomes even more compelling.

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

Ticket prices are skyrocketing across the WNBA, with commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressing the surge after several New York Liberty fans wore T-shirts in protest of the increase.

Donning orange shirts emblazoned with the phrase "We've been priced out," New York fans came together to express their frustrations at a recent game.

The WNBA fans' custom shirts referred to season ticket price jumps of more than 250%, saying the Liberty is asking upwards of $30,000 for 2026 renewals.

Some New York season ticket holders noted that their 2026 renewal more than triples the cost they paid for the team's 2024 championship-winning campaign.

The exponential increase isn't just occurring in the New York market, however — it points to an overall rise in ticket prices across the WNBA.

The WNBA's recent ticket surge has seen seats across the league jumping by an average cost increase of 43% in the last year alone.

"In order to fund all these investments that owners are making, and obviously paying the players more which we will do in this next CBA cycle…that's the reality," Engelbert said on Thursday's episode of In Case You Missed It with Khristina Williams. "That's our responsibility as a league and team owners."

Calling the price hikes a result of "simple economics" and "high demand," Engelbert acknowledged the effect on fans, though did not address potential solutions.

"I realize there's some concern out there, certainly that we don't price out our kind of core fan base," she noted.

Chelsea FC is playing it close to the chest, with big-name new signing Alyssa Thompson and previously injured superstar Sam Kerr waiting in the wings as manager Sonia Bompastor teases a 2025/26 WSL season debut for the pair.

Kerr joined the 18-player game-day roster for Chelsea FC's opening-day victory over Manchester City last Friday, but saw her season debut delayed as the Australian remained an unused sub while Thompson greeted fans from the stands.

This Sunday's matchup against Aston Villa provides another chance for the standouts to take the pitch, as the six-time reigning WSL champs hunt another result.

"With Alyssa, we are looking for her to be able to play. We don't have the confirmation yet, but we are hoping for her to be able to play in this game," Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor said earlier today. "I think she has already shown some good things this week in training, and we can see what she can bring to the team."

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Bompastor went on to call last week's decision to keep Kerr on the bench "my choice," saying "She's doing everything she can to be available for the squad and available to start…. The next step for her is to be involved in a short game in the league, and maybe we'll see that on Sunday."

USWNT fans will not get a glimpse of defender Naomi Girma, however, as the January 2025 Chelsea addition sat out last Friday's clash with a calf injury and remains unavailable.

How to watch Aston Villa vs. Chelsea FC this weekend

With the possibility of Thompson and Kerr taking the WSL pitch, Chelsea will visit Aston Villa at 7 AM ET on Sunday, with live coverage of the match streaming on ESPN+.

Splashy new Gotham FC addition Jaedyn Shaw is returning West, as the No. 6 NY/NJ club preps for a Friday night clash against the No. 3 San Diego Wave — Shaw's original NWSL team — days after signing the USWNT prospect from the No. 11 North Carolina Courage.

"I'm so excited to be a part of this incredible club and community," the 20-year-old said after her NWSL-record $1.25 million transfer to Gotham. "I'm looking forward to playing alongside world class players and giving my all to help the team win another championship."

After finding immediate success with the Wave in 2023, Shaw requested a trade to the Courage in January 2025, initiating what turned out to be a short stint in Cary, NC.

"I've grown so much just over the past few months, being at the Courage," Shaw told ESPN on Thursday. "I feel like I've matured a lot. I've had to experience things that I haven't necessarily experienced in my career and having to deal with those things."

Gotham and Shaw are currently "working toward an updated and extended contract," per a team release on Thursday, with the young attacker looking to boost Gotham's offense while adding to her 16-goal and five-assist NWSL career tally.

How to watch the San Diego Wave vs. Gotham on Friday

Shaw could take the pitch for No. 6 Gotham in her new club's Friday night visit to the No. 3 San Diego Wave.

The match kicks off at 10 PM ET, with live coverage airing on Prime.

The No. 1 Kansas City Current are closing in on the 2025 NWSL Shield, gearing up for a Saturday night showdown against the No. 2 Washington Spirit that could inject insurmountable distance between the Current and the rest of the league.

With a 14-point lead at the top of the NWSL standings, Kansas City has already clinched a postseason berth, and the Current only need only a few more results to secure a franchise-first league trophy.

Even more, KC enters Saturday's match on an 11-game unbeaten streak, with the Current hosting the Spirit at their home CPKC Stadium — a pitch where Kansas City has yet to drop a match this year.

Despite that dominance, it may not be smooth sailing for the Current, as Washington's future is beginning to take shape behind recently returned star Trinity Rodman, whose brace lifted the Spirit over the No. 7 Seattle Reign last Sunday.

"She's not back, because she's a different player," Washington head coach Adrián González told reporters about Rodman's level of play. "After her injury, she's more prepared mentally. She's having enough time to get the minutes, the training, and the exposures that she needs with no pressure."

How to watch the Kansas City Current vs. Washington Spirit

The No. 1 Kansas City Current will host the No. 2 Washington Spirit on Saturday, with the top-tier match kicking off live at 7:30 PM ET on ION.