LSU’s Sweet Sixteen loss to the Duke Blue Devils goes beyond the surface. A potential Elite Eight berth slipped right past the Tigers in another dissapointing season end.

Seniors Flau’Jae Johnson and Amiya Joyner are moving on to the next level and in the age of the transfer portal and NIL, no player is guranteed to stick around.

Retaining top players from the season like Mikaylah Williams, who had 22 points in the loss, and Milaysia Fulwiley, who had a career high 28 points, will be vital. Along with them, the current freshman class for the Tigers headlined by the trio of Grace Knox, Bella Hines, and Zakiyah Johnson.

Though the Tigers didn’t show up the way they wanted to in Sacramento, the potential of the team is clear and obvious.

However, Coach Mulkey knows potential is nothing without progress. The Tigers have to outsource some talent, and most importantly pickup some Bigs moving forward. In each loss of the season the team was plagued by rebounding troubles and lack of second chance opprotunities, despite the offensive firepower.

Looking ahead, as of right now, the Tigers have secured just one commitment in the 2026 class with 6’2 forward Lola Lampley.

It’s sure to be an interesting offseason for the Tigers with lots of new additions on the horizon.