WATCH: $1.8M NIL-valued Angel Reese waves goodbye to MTSU player after foul during nail-biting showdown

Angel Reese and the LSU Lady Tigers played another tense NCAA Tournament game, this time against Middle Tennessee State on Sunday.

In the second-round game, the Lady Tigers turned the tide against Middle Tennessee State in the third quarter, gaining control of the game. Despite trailing by four points at halftime, LSU surged in the second half to win 83-56. The Tigers led 59-49 entering the fourth quarter.

LSU star Angel Reese struggled throughout the game but she took matters into her own hands when Blue Raiders center Anastasia Boldyreva fouled out.

With Boldyreva exiting the game after accumulating her fifth foul during a layup attempt against Reese, the $1.8 million NIL-valued star (per On3) playfully waved goodbye to her during the nail-biting game.

Angel Reese and the LSU Lady Tigers dominated the second half against Middle Tennessee

Angel Reese, along with her teammate, Aneesah Morrow, had a double-double and helped defeat No. 11 Middle Tennessee in an intense 83-56 game in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Resse contributed 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Morrow added 19 points and 13 rebounds. Flau'jae Johnson scored 21 points, and Mikayla Williams added 16.

The third-seeded Tigers (30-5) will face the winner of Monday's game between No. 2 seed UCLA and No. 7 Creighton.

Reese opened up on receiving incredulous criticism during suspension

In November, Reese faced a few difficult weeks, which led to her absence from the team. There was no explanation for her absence, which led to various speculations, like poor grades and a possible pregnancy.

In a recent interview with ESPN, she recalled the time she received the criticism and what she learned from it.

"I want people to underestimate me," Angel Reese said. "I'm telling you, I have everything bookmarked for the right moment when everything just falls right into my hands.

"They said I was too worried about my social media, my GPA was, I was pregnant. Yeah, my stats have gone down maybe four to five points because I'm on a way better team this year."