LSU sophomore guard Chloe Jackson is “excited” after receiving three accolades this week.
Jackson received two Player of the Week awards on Monday, and another on Tuesday.
Jackson earned honors from the Southeastern Conference league office, the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA), and CollegeSportsMadness.com.
“[I was] pretty excited,” Jackson said. “It was a big deal. It felt good.”
Jackson, who transferred from North Carolina State, sat out most of the 2015-16 season due to an injury.
Now healthy and eligible, the Maryland native is averaging 28.0 points, 3.5 steals, 2.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in LSU’s last two SEC games. Against Florida, Jackson posted a career-high 34 points in the 78-67 victory.
Lady Tigers’ Success
The Lady Tigers struggled during the 2015-16 season because of a depleted roster due to player injuries. LSU ended the season with a 10-21 overall record and a 3-13 SEC finish.
With a healthy team, LSU is entering SEC play with more bodies for coach Nikki Fargas which adds flexibility for lineups, Fargas said.
“It’s been great to be healthier,” Fargas said. “That’s been a key for us this season, and that you can look at your bench and sub people in. Last year, we had one sub. I like the fact we can go deep in our bench. It allows us to really go at our opponents.”
Junior guard Raigyne Moncrief, who only started three games last season because of a knee injury, is averaging 14.6 points per game, good for 16th in the SEC.
Defense has been point of emphasis for Fargas and the Lady Tigers.
Five Lady Tigers rank in the top-15 in steals in the SEC.
Moncrief places second in the conference averaging 2.9 per contest. Trailing behind Moncrief is Jackson who is fifth with 2.1 and sophomore guard Shanice Norton in ninth with 1.9.
Freshman forward Ayana Mitchell ties for tenth with 1.8. Senior forward Alexis Hyder ties for the No. 15 spot with 1.4 steals.
Hyder and Moncrief tie for the No. 14 spot in SEC play with an average of 11 blocks.
“Everybody is doing their part,” Fargas said. “When you can get 10 players with 10 or more minutes, it gives you different lineups, it gives you different game planning where you can go bigger and quicker and play with a smaller lineup and play a little small ball.”
Not Perfect Yet
Finishing defensive plays heading into the Lady Tigers matchup against Missouri is a focus for LSU this week, Hyder said.
“Sometimes, we play defense 25 seconds of the shot clock,” Hyder said. “The last five seconds we lose focus, and that creates other possessions for the offense.”
With SEC play getting in full swing, Fargas said the team is taking it one game at a time.
“It’s critical,” Fargas said. “Every game in the SEC carries a lot of weight. Even though you have South Carolina and Kentucky who are ranked, our Missouri game is going to be a tough game. We always battle with them. They’re well-colached. They’re discipline. They have players that can shoot the three.”

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Ryan McCarble

LSU junior guard Raigyne Moncrief (11) scans for a teammate during the Tigers' 76-53 loss to the UConn Huskies on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016 in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.