Just when LSU’s season came to an end earlier than it had hoped for, the program was met with more unfortunate news.
Sa’Myah Smith entered the transfer portal on Monday.
Smith averaged 6.6 points along with 6.4 rebounds this season. Her most notable performance arguably came in the Sweet 16, when she recorded a 21-point, 11-rebound double-double in a 80-73 win over NC State.
From winning a national championship as a true freshman, to tearing her ACL, MCL and meniscus her sophomore season, Smith’s time in Baton Rouge was a roller coaster.
With Smith making her return to the court for the start of the 2024-25 season, she and Aneesah Morrow were expected to be a threatening tandem in the paint. However, it took time for Smith to get back to her old self; an old self that averaged 11.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game through seven games just a season prior.
Smith started to find her groove slowly toward the end of the regular season with an 11-point, 12-rebound performance over Georgia, and a 15-point, six-rebound and two-steal game in a loss to Alabama.
She really hit a new gear in the NCAA Tournament, however. Against San Diego State, she scored 10 points and eight rebounds. Two days later against Florida State, she reached a new level, finishing with 20 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block.
Smith continued that momentum into the Sweet 16, where she played a significant role in getting the Tigers to the Elite Eight. She finished the season with a four-point, 10-rebound, and four-steal performance in the loss to UCLA.
Just over a day later, it was announced that Smith will be taking her career elsewhere.
How LSU can replace Smith
So what does this mean for LSU? Well, losing Smith to the portal and Morrow to the WNBA means the Tigers lose their two starting post players, which is obviously a significant blow. Jersey Wolfenbarger and Aalyah Del Rosario are currently the only two returning post players.
However, the Tigers signed Grace Knox in its Class of 2025, who is ranked as the No. 6 recruit in the nation. Knox, who plays at Spring Valley High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, brings similar size to Smith, but perhaps, more versatility.
She averaged 13.9 points per game along with 9.8 rebounds per game for her senior season. While she averaged nearly a double-double, she is also a threat on the perimeter.
Knox can make an immediate impact for LSU, but Mulkey and her staff will still have to find at least one post player in the transfer portal, preferably multiple.
Mulkey and the staff have said they plan to hit the portal in search for post players, but the loss of Smith makes that an even more urgent need.
Ohio State’s Cotie McMahon, a 6-foot junior forward, looks to be a possible option to come to Baton Rouge, as she entered the transfer portal following the Buckeyes’ season-ending loss in the Round of 32.
McMahon plays a similar game to Morrow as an undersized post player. While she isn’t as much of a threat on the glass, she has similar scoring capabilities to Morrow, as she averaged 16.5 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game.
Arizona’s Breya Cunningham is another option available in the portal, as she would bring both additional height and presence on the glass. The 6-foot-4 sophomore forward averaged 11 points and seven rebounds per game this season.
Something worth noting is that Mulkey and her staff already dipped into Arizona to pick up Kailyn Gilbert last offseason. The two played together for Cunningham’s freshman season, and Gilbert led her Arizona team in scoring for that 2023-24 season.
As the offseason continues on, the transfer portal will only see more action and more names will enter it.
Since Mulkey has been in Baton Rouge, Mulkey and her staff have recruited the portal effectively, thanks to the likes of Mulkey herself, associate head coach Bob Starkey and assistants Seimone Augustus and Gary Redus.
Players like Morrow and Angel Reese were not only two players that transferred to LSU, they’re also two post players that developed into some of the country’s best. The resume that Mulkey and her staff have had out of the portal is about as good as anyone in the country currently.
