It wasn’t difficult for junior forward Ayana Mitchell to transition into a leadership role going into her third season as a Lady Tiger.
Even after leading scorer Chloe Jackson unexpectedly transferred to Baylor following last season and second leading scorer Raigyne Louis graduated, Mitchell was not worried about the possibility of having to lead a young LSU squad.
With only one senior guard, Shanice Norton, the Lady Tigers’ returning front court production of Mitchell and sophomore center Faustine Aifuwa will be key for LSU this season, both on and off the court.
“With the post game returning and the leadership of Ayana Mitchell and Faustine Aifuwa, those two are going to be dominant players in the game for us,” LSU coach Nikki Fargas said. “They’re going to be players that we lean heavily on and they’re players that have produced throughout our practices.”
Mitchell and Aifuwa will be key in leadership and on-court production as two of three returning starters for the Lady Tigers. In the 2017-18 season, Mitchell averaged 11 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, while Aifuwa averaged 5.1 points, 5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.
Fargas said the post game held it down for the team last year, which finished fourth in the Southeastern Conference, and she expects them to be instrumental in the success of the team this season. She compares LSU’s post game to football — you need to establish a run game in order to get the rest of the offense going. Fargas expects Mitchell and Aifuwa to be dominant in the paint on both ends of the court.
Fargas emphasized wanting more of an inside-out offense this year, relying heavily on the posts to create things inside the paint and get it out to the guards to make plays.
“They’re two of the best combos in the post game in our league,” Fargas said. “Those two together are a force to be reckoned with. They have the size, they have the athleticism, they have the quickness and they have the skills.”
The chemistry of Mitchell and Aifuwa, who are roommates, contributes even more to a developed post game for the Lady Tigers. Communication between the two on the court is almost non-verbal because of their connection on and off the court.
Both Mitchell and Aifuwa also spent the offseason and preseason working on themselves and their own individual games so that they would be able to contribute to the team as much as possible.
As a redshirt freshman, Aifuwa spent most of her time going from block to block and rarely wandering outside her comfort zone. Now, she’s able to take shots from the short corner or the high post, making her more of a threat to drive down the lane instead of kicking it out to a guard all the time.
Aifuwa, who stands at 6-foot-5, has yet to take a three-point attempt in her career but joked that she’s not that comfortable just yet.
“I’ve seen a lot of improvement [in myself],” Aifuwa said. “There’s times where I’ve gotten the ball in the high post and I’ll be able to shoot it or make my own shot by driving to the goal. That’s something that I didn’t do last year, so I see [the improvement] every day.”
Fargas expects Aifuwa to have a breakout year as she shoulders more responsibility than she has had to previously.
“The way I’ve seen [Aifuwa] grow the most is mentally,” Mitchell said. “She’s always been a physical player and been able to finish. She runs rim to rim, she’s able to grab rebounds and things like that. I think the thing for her was just to mature and grow, and I think she’s done that.”
Mitchell, on the other hand, has completely redefined her game in preparation to go pro in two years if the opportunity presents itself.
She has been working with newly hired LSU assistant coach Aaron Kallhoff to expand her game beyond the dominant defense and rebounding she is known for and improving her overall basketball IQ.
“[I’ve been working on] making decisions and being able to distribute the ball, reading my defense,” Mitchell said. “Being able to handle it a little bit better and pass it a little bit better and being able to shoot it a lot better. Those things where you look at the pro and what they do and that’s what I’m trying to incorporate into my game.”
Like Aifuwa, Mitchell has expanded her shooting range, but to include shooting from outside the arc, allowing the entire Lady Tigers offense to spread the court out more.
In her two years playing at LSU, Mitchell has succeeded in a tough and physical SEC even while being undersized at her position, standing at 6-foot-2, and without having to contribute much beyond the arc. With an improved three-ball, Fargas expects Mitchell to contribute in a variety of ways.
Mitchell said she focuses on doing whatever needs to be done to help her team succeed, but her versatility and ability to play anywhere from the three to the five spot has helped her spread out her own game.
“Ayana Mitchell is arguably one of the best post players in our league,” Fargas said. “We’re going to expect a lot from her, not only from her scoring, but her rebounding and her ability to just be that emotional player for us. When she’s like that, the other players feed off of her.”
More than any of her stats, Mitchell is able to provide LSU with emotion and energy this season, when the team may be lacking in the experience it’s used to.
Fargas has repeatedly said that the energy will stem from the post position, but leads in a way that allows everybody to step up.
Aifuwa being a leader is as simple as being the first one in the gym and the last one out, but it’s always doing the same things you want your teammates to do.
“This group of girls, they’re very open and accepting of leadership and anything that you have to say to them. They take it all in,” Mitchell said. “And it’s not just me. You’ll come in, and it’s a different person every day who has stepped up and taken that role and owned up to it. It’s not just me — it’s all 13 of us.”

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Dilyn Stewart

LSU sophomore forward Ayana Mitchell (5) looks up to shoot the ball during the Tigers' 79-78 win against Alabama on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018, in the PMAC.