The LSU women’s basketball team lost six players from last year’s squad, but current players are stepping up to help the Lady Tigers work toward success this season.
After two blow-out exhibition victories against Xavier and North Alabama, LSU (3-2) won its home opener with a narrow 72-70 win against Wichita State.
Sophomore guard Sheila Boykin, who LSU coach Nikki Caldwell calls a quiet asset, made her first career start against Wichita State.
“Sheila is player that doesn’t necessarily show up in the box score, you’re not gonna see a line of 20 and 12,” Caldwell said. “But she does a lot of things that gives us energy whether it’s a hustle play or taking a charge, coming up with a loose ball.”
During the first road trip of the season, the Lady Tigers dropped two in a row at Hampton and No. 25 Georgetown. Free throws and fouls were issues for the Lady Tigers during the trip.
“What really hurts is when a team is shooting 80 percent from the free-throw line and they’re able to score a third of their points from the free-throw line,” Caldwell said. “…You can’t go on the road and shoot 53 percent from the free-throw line.”
The Lady Tigers bounced back from their winless road trip by capturing the title at the Florida International Thanksgiving Classic, securing the program’s 800th win in the process.
To start the tournament, the Lady Tigers knocked off No. 12 West Virginia 71-63. Freshman guard Danielle Ballard tallied 25 points, eight rebounds and five steals against West Virginia. Caldwell said Ballard “graduated to another level” during that game.
Junior guard Theresa Plaisance was named the MVP of the tournament and Plaisance, Ballard and senior guard Adrienne Webb were named to the all-tournament team. The Lady Tigers became the fourth program in Southeastern Conference history to reach the 800-win milestone.
Plaisance has completed double-digit scoring for the last four games, and earned her first career double-double this season with 18 points and 11 rebounds at Hampton.
“Theresa Plaisance has really stepped up her play as a go-to player for us,” Caldwell said.
During the early signing period, LSU received letters of intent from top-25, 5-foot-10 guards Raigyne Moncrief and Jasmine Rhodes. Moncrief is ranked No. 18 in the US by ESPN Hoop Gurlz, which is the highest ranking player to commit to LSU since Allison Hightower in 2006.
Caldwell notes that the team will progress as the season continues.
“This team is learning each and every day how to play with each other and know where we need to place the ball … to be successful,” Caldwell said. “They understand what our goal is — one game at a time, one possession at a time, and they know that each win is critical to the future of our program and where we want to be in March.”
Caldwell said there are good parts in each game, but they are sometimes counteracted with the negative aspects. She said for the Lady Tigers to be successful, they have to mesh all those factors during two halves of each game.
“There is fight in this team,” Caldwell said. “We just have to put it together for 40 total minutes.”
