LSU head coach Kim Mulkey resorted to her “small lineup” for the second half in Tuscaloosa, featuring Shayeann Day-Wilson, Miracle Sheppard, Flau’jae Johnson, Mikaylah Williams and Aneesah Morrow.
Although the Tigers fell short in overtime, the small lineup allowed LSU to get back in the game, outscoring No. 20 Alabama in both quarters in the second half of regulation.
“I thought we just defended a little better and just went small,” Mulkey said. “I’d say the smaller lineup kind of got us back in it.”
Mulkey’s small lineup has helped the Tigers squeak out wins earlier this season. LSU’s small lineup outscored Stanford 33-30 in overtime to help secure a 94-88 victory.
No player in the small lineup used against Alabama stands taller than 6 feet 1 inch, including Kailyn Gilbert, who makes her occasional appearance with the group. There was an anticipated mismatch that the Tide could take advantage of.
However, that lineup’s expectation proved otherwise against Alabama, as those six players combined for 12 of LSU’s 15 rebounds in the second half of regulation. The Tide totaled 14 rebounds as a team in the second half.
In addition, the small lineup was a defensive threat against Stanford, holding Cardinal Nunu Agara to just two rebounds after grabbing nine in the first half.
While the lineup is considered small, it contains players that play bigger than their height lists on a roster.
Aneesah Morrow stands at 6-foot-1, making her an undersized post player. However, she leads the country in rebounds per game by more than a rebound.
While Morrow is still the tallest player in the small lineup, she plays with the ability and physicality of a post player who stands 6-foot-3 or taller.
“She never tires. She never gets tired,” Mulkey said. “That kid is tough as nails. You just can’t imagine.”
However, this can be said for the Tigers as a team, which ranks third in the country for rebounds per game with 46.7.
If you remove post players who stand 6-foot-3 or taller–Sa’Myah Smith, Jersey Wolfenbarger, and Aaliyah Del Rosario–from that amount, LSU averages 34.7 rebounds per game, meaning the Tigers’ players who stand shorter than that threshold account for 74% of their rebounds.
With Morrow and Smith leading the team in rebounds per game, Johnson and Williams rank third and fourth in rebounds per game for LSU, with Johnson having 5.8 and Williams having 4.4.
Against Alabama, Johnson finished with the second-most rebounds for the Tigers with seven, behind Morrow’s nine rebounds. Johnson’s season-high rebounds came recently in LSU’s win over Kentucky, where she finished with 13 rebounds.
Versus Stanford, Williams finished with the second-most rebounds for the Tigers with nine, behind Morrow’s 16 rebounds. Her nine-rebound performance against the Cardinal is her season-high thus far.
While Morrow leads the defensive attack in the paint and on the glass, the small lineup also amplifies how dynamic and versatile Johnson and Williams are. This is especially true for Williams, who is often used as a post player in a small lineup.
“She can play all positions on the floor at her size,” Mulkey said of Williams.
But the small lineup doesn’t end with the Tigers’ big three.
Against Alabama, Sheppard not only scored 10 points in the second half but also grabbed an additional three rebounds and two steals. Gilbert scored 12 points in the second half against Stanford and had three assists.
Mulkey’s small lineup is set up on paper to hinder LSU in the paint and on the glass.
However, with that lineup’s physicality, versatility and facilitation, it’s almost paradoxical that what it’s at a disadvantage of instead often keeps the purple and gold in games.
