The LSU women’s basketball team grew during the offseason.
The Lady Tigers adjusted to losing six players, including their go-to player in No. 10 WNBA Draft pick LaSondra Barrett and freshman standout Krystal Forthan.
The team added three players and will stick with a 10-woman roster. Coach Nikki Caldwell said the Tigers trained successfully during the offseason and will rotate enough during games to keep up with its fast-paced offense.
The team only plays two hours each practice, spending 30 minutes on individual skill development and 90 minutes together as a team to keep “poundage on the joints” to a minimum.
“I don’t feel as though 10 people would hurt us, unless we — knock on wood — lose somebody to injuries,” Caldwell said. “We should be able to run all 10 of our players in and out of the game. That’s about how many we played last year as far as quality minutes.”
Caldwell said she will call on senior guard Adrienne Webb for the bulk of the leadership this season with junior guard Jeanne Kenney also helping out on both ends of the court. The Tigers practice to Webb’s pace and level of intensity, Caldwell said.
Webb credits her motivation not only to her senior season, but also to LSU’s second-round NCAA tournament loss to No. 11 Penn State in the PMAC last season.
“I’m hungry,” Webb said. “I wanna get back to the tournament; I wanna win a national championship. If you have an extra year, you gotta come back hungrier.”
Webb said there is pressure on the first-year players, along with everyone else, to have an impact on the floor and lead in their own way so the team can have a successful season.
Kenney was forced to replace Destini Hughes at point guard after Hughes was injured halfway through the season. With the addition of freshman guards Danielle Ballard and Kuaneshia Baker, Kenney will move back to her shooting guard position.
Caldwell said Kenney sacrificed part of her game to replace Hughes, but Kenney is open to do whatever her coach needs.
“Whatever coach Nikki wants me to play, I’ll play it,” Kenney said. “If it’s on the ball, I’ll do it, but I like to score, too.”
Replacing Barrett and forwards Swayze Black and Courtney Jones will be junior forwards Theresa Plaisance and Shanece McKinney, sophomore forward Sheila Boykin and freshman center Derreyal Youngblood. Caldwell said there is no player that can “out-physical” the 6-foot-4 Youngblood.
“Derreyal Youngblood will be hard for anybody to guard,” Caldwell said. “She brings a different presence, a different strength on the low block that we didn’t have.”
Caldwell commended her team for the way it stepped up after the obstacles it faced since its last game.
“You can either woe about it, or you can pick up the pieces,” Caldwell said. “They’ve taken all the challenges that’s been thrown their way, not with just losing Krystal, but losing five seniors. I’m looking forward to them continuing to grow and understand the reality of the game, and it is about the 10 people that’s on this roster. We’re gonna focus in on each other.”
Caldwell said the team focuses on its bond and playing together like a family. The day before the first practice, the Tigers competed in the “Tiger Olympics,” which Caldwell started last year as a team bonding event. Youngblood said the Olympics were complicated, but the events helped her teammates connect on a personal level.
“We truly feel that’s going to make a difference with our team with how tight we are and how together we play,” Caldwell said. “We obviously have to play like we got each others’ back, and when you’re family, that’s what you do.”
Despite losing many players, Caldwell remains optimistic about her team and looks forward to her players’ continued growth.
“We’ve definitely got a lot of work ahead of us,” Caldwell said. “We’re gonna keep working the best that we can to get ready for that first game.”
