If there was one moment that could define who Bella Hines is as a player, it would be during a huddle against South Carolina.
At the 5:44 mark in the third quarter of LSU women’s basketball’s Valentine’s Day matchup, Hines checked into the game for the first time.
She had been solid all year, producing with the minutes she’s been given, but she wasn’t expected to play much against the No. 3 team in the country.
ESPN’s Holly Rowe, sitting behind the Tigers’ bench, explained how animated head coach Kim Mulkey was during a timeout.
LSU trailed by eight. Calling a timeout, Mulkey knew how quickly momentum could change the game if adjustments weren’t made.
Up to this point, South Carolina’s Tessa Johnson has been giving the Tigers problems. Leading her team, she had 16 points in the first half, shooting 6-for-9 (67%) from the field and 4-for-5 (80%) from three.
In the huddle and looking at her players who were out on the court, Mulkey yelled, “Who can guard Tessa!” A hand raised almost instantly. It’s Hines.
Out of the timeout, she knocked down a mid-range jumper shot on the inbounds play. On the defensive end, she was face-guarding Johnson, not giving her an inch of breathing room.
Johnson was visibly frustrated and annoyed by Hines’ defense, swatting her hand away and getting tangled up with her.
During the six minutes Hines played, she scored six points, limited Johnson on the offensive end and was a plus-six when on the court.
After the loss, Mulkey was asked about what she saw from Hines after bringing her off the bench as a potential spark.
“I saw a kid I need to play more,” Mulkey said. “She needs to take away some of the minutes of some because she got out there and guarded Tessa. She wasn’t afraid to bow up to her. She made shots. She had a lot of energy and effort, and she has my respect.”
When LSU landed the No. 32 prospect in the class of 2025, according to ESPN, her defensive ability didn’t pop off paper.
“She was something different, at least from my standpoint,” associate head coach Bob Starkey said. “When I watched her play at AAU, I didn’t think she was necessarily that good defensively. You could tell she was a shooter. She was a scorer. She played hard.”
The Albuquerque native scored more than 2,000 points in her high school career and was named Player of the Year in New Mexico for two consecutive years, but if you know Mulkey, scoring is the least of her concerns; it’s defense.
When Mulkey made it an emphasis, so did Hines. Putting in the effort to carve a role for herself hasn’t gone unnoticed by the coaching staff.
“But to her credit, when she got here, and coach Mulkey said, ‘You can’t play unless you guard,’ she poured herself into it,” Starkey said. “Developed some really good habits of practice, watched film, knows her scout; she’s been really good for us, coming off the bench as a stopper.”
You can be one of the best scorers in the country, but if there’s no effort on defense, you will not play. Hines took that knowledge and molded her game around it to make an impact for her team.
“Honestly, defense is such a momentum swing,” Hines said. “It’s a thing that not a lot of people want to do, and I know Mulkey harps on it a lot, so just being able to stand out in that aspect elevates my game.”
Her scoring ability is present; it’s just not needed. With players such as Mikaylah Williams, Flau’jae Johnson and MiLaysia Fulwiley, it’s going to be some time until she has to step up to the plate.
But in her freshman campaign, she’s shown she can score when given the opportunity. She’s scored double digits four times this season, including a season-high of 14 points in her second collegiate game against Southeastern Louisiana.
Between the moment against the Gamecocks when she wasn’t afraid to guard one of the team’s best players and being a disruptive presence on defense by taking charges, she has found her role as a freshman.
One part of Hines’ freshman experience has been participating in March Madness.
After the regular season and conference tournament, the Tigers finished with a record of 27-5 and earned the No. 2 seed in the Sacramento 2 Region.
Not many freshmen in women’s college basketball get to experience hosting a tournament game on campus, but that was the reality for Hines.
“It’s going to be amazing,” Hines said before the game against No. 15 Jacksonville. “I’m just soaking it all in my freshman year being around some of the seniors, just them already knowing what’s coming in March and just being able to soak it all in and take it day by day.”
In the 116-58 victory over the Dolphins, Hines finished with nine points, 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks in her tournament debut. Her next game against Texas Tech finished with six points.
She’s a player that everyone wants on their team. Someone willing to sacrifice their scoring for the greater good, she’s an intricate piece to this LSU team.
“Bella is doing exactly what you hope freshmen do,” Mulkey said. “Bella will guard you. She’s not afraid of contact. She’s not afraid to guard the great players, and it’s good for our team because it’s allowed Flau’jae and Mikaylah and the rotation to get some rest all year, and then she can score the ball. She’s playing very good right now.”
