Coach Kim Mulkey’s first season at LSU exceeded expectations in ways Tiger fans could have never imagined. It’s safe to say that she may have turned the program around in her first season, finishing with a 26-6 record, securing a top-three seed in the NCAA Tournament and a top-two seed in the SEC tournament last season.
Last season’s theme was about turning the program around and allowing the talent already on the team to shine in ways it deserves. This year’s roster clearly has that talent as well, but may need the time to garner the chemistry needed to play as one.
Last year’s team was filled with experience. This experience came from players that had been apart of the program prior to Mulkey’s arrival. While those players had seen the darkest days of LSU Women’s Basketball, the experience this season’s team brings is different. Of the nine newcomers on the roster, five of them are transfers, so their game knowledge comes from prior college play time.
Mulkey and her staff took charge of recruiting in the transfer portal in order to make up for the experience they lost.
“The portal gives you that college experience,” Mulkey said. “But they’re in a new system now, so that’s why we have to piece it together.”
A transfer that is set to make an impact right away is forward Angel Reese, a transfer from the University of Maryland. Last season at Maryland, Reese averaged a double-double in 17.8 points and 10.6 rebounds points per game.
“Angel Reese is a tremendous basketball player,” Mulkey said. “She can leap out of the gym, she’s very vocal, and absolutely loves the game.”
However, not all of the experience this season comes from the transfer portal. One returning starter and electrifying playmaker, Alexis Morris, will be back in the purple and gold.
Morris came down with an injury toward the end of the regular season against Alabama last year, which kept her out of the SEC tournament and forced her to play minimally in the NCAA Tournament.
Regardless, Morris is determined to be a leader of this team and get back to the rhythm she was in before her injury.
“Alexis is itching to be the point guard; [she asks] every day ‘Coach, am I going to get to play point guard?’” Mulkey said. “‘Alexis, it’s about winning. Every time I put that ball in your hands and they trap you, you’re going to have to get rid of it, so are you sure you want to play point? Don’t you want to score? Remember that Iowa State game where you’re playing the off-guard and KP’s [Khayla Pointer] bringing it up? You’re going to have to use her at multiple positions.’”
Not all of the recruiting came from the transfer portal for the Tigers. Mulkey and her staff signed four players out of high school last season, led by guard, Flau’jae Johnson. Johnson is a representation of how not only women’s basketball is evolving, but all college sports are evolving.
Alongside basketball, Flau’jae Johnson is a rapper and may be just as good at rapping as she is at basketball. Her platform both in basketball and rapping has given her over 700,000 followers on Instagram and over 27,000 followers on Twitter.
While Mulkey sees Johnson’s talent away from basketball, she made sure the star freshman knows during basketball season, basketball comes first.
“Basketball comes first in basketball season,” Mulkey said. “She will not miss things to do rap things because basketball comes first.”
There are more than just new players this year, as associate head coach, Bob Starkey, assistant coach, Gary Redus II and strength and conditioning coach, Thomas Lene, will join the team.
Starkey is a face LSU fans are familiar with, as he coached in the program from 1989-2011, and was a part of all five of LSU’s Women’s Final Four appearing teams.
“Wow, wow, did I get a big-time guy,” Mulkey said. “I like his knowledge, he just has a head coach mentality.”
Mulkey was the newcomer to the program last season, but now it is her turn to welcome and develop the newcomers set to enter the program this season.
“We have a lot of talent on the floor, but we have to piece it together,” Mulkey said. “We have to piece it together, and that takes time.”
