LSU women’s basketball finished off their preseason exhibition games last night by defeating LSU-Alexandria, 117-37.
It was another blowout victory for the Tigers, and it was another look at what people are expected to see this season. 
While the game wasn’t close from the start, there are still some takeaways from last night’s game. 
Guard depth will not be a problem
The Tigers will most likely use seven out of their eight guards this season, as they have one of the deepest guard rooms in the country.
Although Mjracle Sheppard, Last-Tear Poa, Shayeann Day-Wilson and Mikaylah Williams didn’t suit up on Wednesday, there was no glaring issue for them.
Kailyn Gilbert, Flau’jae Johnson and Jada Richard got off to a hot start in the first half, scoring 15, 15 and 10. The guards finished with a combined total of 69 points on the night.
Once all of the Tigers’ pieces come back, they will have multiple options at the guard position. 
Kailyn Gilbert’s impact
The Arizona transfer played exceptionally well during LSU’s exhibition game, filling the stat sheet with 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. 
She showed the LSU faithful what she is bringing to this year’s team. With the Wildcats, she averaged 15 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals while also shooting 40% from three.
She is no stranger to putting the ball in the hoop, but there’s another element of her game that Mulkey would like to see her improve at, and that is defense.
“I’ll be real with you: you’re not going to get to play on that offensive end if you don’t guard on the defensive end,” Mulkey said.
Mulkey also talked about how the expectations they have on defense are higher than other programs. However, she appreciated Gilbert’s willingness to learn and spoke about her growth on defense. 
“We work on it every day,” Mulkey said. “Her on-ball defense is better right now than her off-ball defense.”
LSU’s defense has improved, but some work still needs to be done
Although LSU-Alexandria isn’t the most talented team, it was clear that the Tigers’ defense caused a problem.
The Tigers were active in the passing lanes, forcing 25 turnovers. They also had 12 steals and five blocks. They forced the Generals to play late into the shot clock and settle for multiple bad shots. 
With multiple players out, head coach Kim Mulkey only had eight players on Wednesday but expressed the unselfishness of her team. However, there was still room for improvement.
“I thought (Aneesah) Morrow and Jersey (Wolfenberger) were very unselfish to play the perimeter for us tonight, Mulkey said. “Our defense, particularly-man to-man, we got to get better on the perimeter and stop the team’s penetration. I think we have enough depth and athleticism to clean up what we’re just kind of struggling to right now.”
Sa’Myah Smith shines in season debut
The 6-foot-2 redshirt sophomore returned to the court after suffering a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus a season ago.
In her debut, Smith put up 12 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and a steal. 
Kim Mulkey spoke about the rust she’s had since it’s been over a year the last time she played, but she’s confident that it will go away as the season continues.
The frontcourt was a glaring issue for the Tigers last year, and now with Smith back on the court, she brings back length and energy on both ends of the court. 
Flau’jae Johnson is still the leading scorer
Johnson was expected to take a big step forward this season with the departure of Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith, and she’s done just that.
Johnson finished the game with 29 points, five rebounds and three assists following her 30-point performance in her last game against Xavier-New Orleans. 
She’s shown that she can score anywhere on the court, from attacking to the basket, shooting off the dribble, and knocking down threes.
The offense will run through her this season, and she will be the primary focal point of LSU’s success this season.