The women’s basketball national championship season was one that will go down in history for LSU. Kim Mulkey came to the program with the goal of winning titles for her home state, but it was not an achievement she thought she would have in year two in Baton Rouge.
As the team got closer and closer to the title game, it became more real to everyone that it was possible. But one player, in particular, seemed to know for a long time not only that it could happen, but that it would happen.
Alexis Morris was a fan favorite this season. With the nickname “Lex Luthor,” she was a player fans gravitated to because of her spirit and her passion.
But the fans that knew what had taken place behind the scenes throughout Morris’ career rooted for her a little extra.
Morris’ bond with Mulkey goes back to the seventh grade; Morris would attend Mulkey’s basketball camps, and the two became familiar with each other from there.
“Coach Mulkey’s an amazing person,” Morris said. “She knows how to get the best out of me. She’s been knowing me since I was a child literally.”
Morris then went onto play for Mulkey at Baylor, where her talent became known to many. In her freshman season at Baylor in 2018, Morris played in 34 games and averaged 9.4 points per game, 2.9 rebounds per game, and 3.4 assists per game.
She had room to grow, but with greatness expected in her future at Baylor is when adversity struck. After an off-the-court disciplinary issue took place, Mulkey was forced to dismiss Morris from the team at Baylor. Morris was not sure if basketball would be in her future, as she did not play at any school in the 2018-19 season.
But she made her return to the hardwood in the 2019-2020 season at Rutgers University. Her playing time was limited, appearing in only seven games and only averaging one point per game.
It took Morris returning to her home state of Texas for her to get back on her feet. She transferred to Texas A&M University for the 2020-21 season, and she returned back to her dynamic self. In 20 games, she averaged 6.0 points per game, 1.3 rebounds per game and 1.3 assists per game.
Morris had not spoken to Mulkey since she had dismissed her from Baylor. There was no bad blood, the two just had not crossed paths.
But Morris believed she had more to offer on the court, and she reached out to Mulkey because she needed her back in her life.
“I had sleepless nights over it because I loved Alexis,” Mulkey said. “There are many people you dismiss from a team and you say ‘good riddance, you’re a cancer in the locker room,’ she was not.”
It was the perfect storm because Mulkey was no longer at Baylor, she had just made the move to LSU. Morris then transferred to LSU for the 2021-22 season, and what she believed she had in the tank to offer, she showed.
In her first season at LSU, Morris averaged 15 points per game, four rebounds per game, 2.7 assists per game, and 1.7 steals per game.
Mulkey’s first season at LSU already exceeded expectations with only four regular season losses, and Morris was expected to be a big piece to the team’s postseason success. However, in the team’s last regular season home game of the season, Morris came down with an ankle injury that held her out for the SEC Tournament.
She made her return for the team’s first game of the NCAA Tournament, where LSU earned a No. 3 seed, but she still was not 100% healthy. In LSU’s tournament opener matchup against Jackson State, Morris played 19 minutes and scored eight points with two assists. In the second-round matchup against Ohio State, she played 14 minutes and only scored three points.
Many LSU fans believe that the team could have made a deeper run if Morris was healthy, but that gave fans more of a reason to look forward to next season.
Morris was the newcomer in her first season at LSU, but in her second season, she was the veteran. She was the only returning starter for the 2022-23 season on a team that started three transfer players and a freshman. It was an adjustment both chemistry-wise and role-wise, but Morris still performed as usual.
She embraced her veteran role from the start of the season. In six of her first seven games, Morris scored in double figures. She remained a valuable asset to the team from there, but she reached a new level against the toughest opponent they had seen at the time in Tennessee. In a full game of play, Morris scored a team-high of 31 points, six rebounds, three assists and five steals.
“I had to be the player to stay poised because of my experience. I’ve been here before,” Morris said. “I went and had a great game and played for my teammates…it was fun.”
Morris then found another hot streak. In six of the next nine games, Morris scored 20 points or more, including a 28-point performance against Georgia in the SEC Tournament. But it took an SEC Tournament semifinal loss to Tennessee for Morris to lose her rhythm slightly.
The team clinched a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament once again, and while LSU was a heavy favorite in their first round matchup against Hawaii, Morris underperformed.
In 34 minutes of play, she finished with six points and four steals. In the Tigers’ second round matchup with she shot just 36% from the field, and zero for five from three. Toward the end of the game, she found her shot briefly, finishing with 11 points.
The Tigers then advanced to the Sweet 16 against their toughest opponent, besides South Carolina, in the Utah Utes. The team had succeeded in making it further in the tournament than they had last season, but Morris finding her shot once again was evident in them making it further.
Morris knew what was expected of her, but this season being her last at LSU, she had extra motivation in making a deep run. Being from Texas, Morris’ goal was to play her last collegiate game in her home state, as the Final Four was set to take place in Dallas. Now that the team made it out of Baton Rouge, that goal seemed more and more achievable.
In the Sweet 16 and Elite 8, Morris stepped up in games where the team struggled to make shots. Against Utah, Morris finished with 15 points, seven assists and four rebounds. In a game that was back and forth, Morris was a key piece in keeping the Tigers in it.
But against Miami, Morris’ contribution was even more appreciated. In one of the team’s worst shooting performances of the season, Morris scored 21 points along with two rebounds, two assists, and four steals.
The motivation to make it Dallas took over for Morris, and with her performance against Miami, they were able to get there.
“I’m ending my career where I wanted it to be,” Morris said. “So hopefully we could cut some nets in Dallas.”
Her goal of playing her last collegiate game in her home state of Texas was accomplished, but being the competitor she is, she wanted to win the whole tournament. LSU faced adversity against Virginia Tech in the Final Four, where the Tigers found themselves down by as much as 12.
But the Tigers revived in the second half and came back to win the game 79-72. Morris finished with 27 points on the game, 17 of which came in the second half. In a game where she played all 40 minutes, her experience was a key to them making the national championship game.
Morris now upgraded the importance of her last collegiate game with the chance to win a national title. If Morris didn’t already prove her comeback to many, a national championship would certainly help.
The national championship game against Iowa was a game where the wealth of points were spread throughout LSU’s roster. In a game where the Tigers scored 102 points to win a national title, five players scored in double figures.
Players like Jasmine Carson and LaDazhia Williams stepped up, each scoring 20 points or more, but Morris’ contribution was there as expected. She finished her college career with 21 points and nine assists in her final game.
While Morris finished her college career as a national champion, she wasn’t done checking boxes off her bucket list. On April 10, Alexis Morris was selected in the second round of the WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun with the 22nd overall pick.
If anyone were to tell Alexis Morris after she was dismissed from Baylor that she would be a national champion and a professional women’s basketball player, she wouldn’t have believed you. For not being certain if basketball would be in her future, the concept of not giving up was something Morris held close to her heart.
Morris’ career came full circle, and much of that she attributes to Mulkey. Mulkey gave her a second chance, and Morris did not take it for granted. But her journey was one she would not do differently. She may had made mistakes, but she learned. From what she learned, she became better, and she ended up as a national champion.
“This is a kid who owned her mistake, this is a kid who never blamed a coach,” Mulkey said. “Look where she is sitting today. What a remarkable story.”
Morris will now join the Connecticut Sun as the “comeback kid,” hoping to continue her road of success in the WNBA.
