Angel Reese says Shaquille O'Neal checked in on her every day during mysterious LSU absence, as college basketball star references her mental health after first game back

Angel Reese revealed Thursday that Shaquille O'Neal checked in on her every day during her absence from LSU, as the college basketball star made general references to her mental health after her return to the court.

Reese returned in her team's win over Virginia Tech after a two-week, four-game absence that coach Kim Mulkey had chalked up to 'locker room issues.'

And following a 19-point performance in the victory, Reese detailed how the ex-LSU star and Reebok executive O'Neal - who was influential in Reebok signing her to an endorsement deal - has helped her of late.

'He told me every day, like, `This, too, shall pass,´' Reese said. 'Just being able to have somebody like that was something that was really good for me. He told me when I was right. He told me when I was wrong. He told me what I needed to do to get back to where I am.'

'I want people to realize that I´m not just an athlete. I´m a human,' Reese added. 'I go through things. We all go through things.'  

Reese said she was 'happy' to be back following her mysterious absence, and made some general references to her mental health and not wanting her behavior to be detrimental to the team.

'Mental health is the most important thing before anything and I´m going to make sure I´m OK before anything because I don´t want to cause harm or any cancer in the locker room,' she said.

'It was a long two weeks to be away from the team,' she added at a different point in the conference. 'Taking time to yourself is really important. I just felt like that was something that was important, resetting and refocusing within the team.  

Before the game, it was almost as if Reese had never left.

She was presented with a commemorative basketball during a pregame ceremony recognizing her 1,000th career rebound earlier this season.

Additionally, when the starting lineup was announced, Reese was introduced last, as she usually is during home games. 

Mulkey added that she was proud of Reese, 'Just proud of how she handled herself, proud she´s back to the Angel everybody knows. ... There´s nothing but positive things about what happened on that floor.'

For her part, Reese said last season that she needs Mulkey in her life and reiterated that Thursday, adding that she needs her coach, 'Today, tomorrow, next year, ´til the day I die. I'm at LSU because of Kim Mulkey.'