LSU women’s basketball picks up a prediction for top 10 2025 prospect

The Tigers are in good position to add an elite 2025 shooting guard prospect in Divine Bourrage.

After winning a national title in 2023 and reaching the Final Four again in 2024, coach [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] and the LSU women’s basketball team look to retool with a roster that lost superstar [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] but brings back [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] while adding some veterans in the portal.

While Mulkey’s focus is on the upcoming season, she’s also looking to add top talent in the 2025 recruiting cycle, and the Tigers seem to be in a good spot for a top-10 prospect in the class.

On Sunday morning, LSU picked up a 70% confidence prediction from On3’s Matthew Brune to land [autotag]Divine Bourrage[/autotag], the No. 7 player nationally and No. 2 shooting guard in the 2025 class. The Tigers are now a 93.5% favorite to land Bourrage, who hails from Davenport, Iowa, according to the On3 recruiting prediction machine.

LSU already holds one commitment in the cycle from top 25 point guard [autotag]Bella Hines[/autotag], who committed back in April.

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LSU women’s basketball set to face Stanford in ACC/SEC challenge

LSU women’s basketball will face Stanford in this year’s SEC/ACC challenge.

The 2024-25 schedule for LSU women’s basketball is starting to take shape. On Wednesday, LSU announced the Tigers would host Stanford in this year’s SEC/ACC challenge.

The game will take place at the PMAC on Thursday, Dec. 5. This is the second annual SEC/ACC challenge after LSU played host to Virginia Tech last year.

Stanford, its first year in the ACC, will beef up LSU’s nonconference schedule. The Cardinal went 30-6 last year and finished No. 9 in the AP Poll. The offense was among the best in the country, scoring 77.5 points per game.

The SEC doesn’t always offer a ton of quad one win opportunities, so capitalizing on the nonconference slate will be critical.

However, the Stanford program will look different. Head coach Tara VanDerveer retired and star forward Cameron Brink is in the WNBA.

LSU will enter the year with championship expectations again. [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] turned pro and [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] hit the transfer portal, but superstar guard [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] is back along with [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag].

LSU’s full schedule is yet to be released.

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LSU to face UIC in December, Aneesah Morrow set for Chicago homecoming

Aneesah Morrow will return to her hometown on Dec. 19 as the Tigers face the Flames.

LSU women’s basketball star [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] will be making her return to Chicago this December.

On Monday, the Tigers announced a game scheduled for Dec. 19 on the road against the University of Illinois Chicago. That game will come two days after the Tigers face Seton Hall at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.

For Morrow, it marks a return to her hometown where she starred at Simeon High School and later spent the first two years of her college career at DePaul before transferring to LSU.

“We are very excited to have a game in Chicago against UIC which allows Aneesah to play back in her hometown,” coach [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] said in a release. “There will be a lot of people that have followed Aneesah from the beginning of her basketball career that will have the opportunity to come out and see her play with LSU. Chicago is a city with rich basketball history so we look forward to bring our team there for a game.”

UIC is coming off an 18-16 season that saw the team reach the WNIT. It returns 11 players from last year’s team.

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COLUMN: This year’s LSU women’s basketball team wasn’t equipped to play at the top of the sport

This LSU squad ultimately lacked the pieces that carried the team to a national title last season.

LSU’s championship hopes came crashing down after it ran into the force that is Caitlin Clark.

Iowa got off to a hot start before LSU managed to sustain a run of its own. It was reminiscent of the early run LSU went on in last year’s game, overwhelming Iowa with active defense and physicality in the post.

But then, [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] left the game with an ankle. She would return, but she wasn’t the same player that dominated the first quarter. Iowa took control in the second half and closed it out.

Reese’s ankle certainly played a factor and if she’s healthy, maybe LSU is advancing to the Final Four. But that’s not the reason LSU lost that game.

LSU’s going home because this team wasn’t capable of winning a title. That’s not an indictment of any individual, from Reese to [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag], but this team, as a whole, lacked something.

Last year’s team had all the right pieces. Think back to that 102-85 victory over Iowa in the national title. It wasn’t just Reese and [autotag]Flau’jae Johnson[/autotag]. The difference was [autotag]Jasmine Carson[/autotag] coming off the bench and hitting five threes. [autotag]Ladazhia Williams[/autotag] scored 20 points in the post. In the backcourt, [autotag]Alexis Morris[/autotag] scored 21 and [autotag]Kateri Poole[/autotag] went two for two from behind the arch.

But this year, when Reese went cold with the ankle, the supporting cast didn’t immediately answer the call. Johnson did eventually, with a strong second half, but it was too late. Iowa already seized momentum.

LSU had three chances this year to secure a win against one of the top teams in the sport. Two against South Carolina and again on Monday against Iowa. LSU was competitive but went 0-3 in those games. At some point, we just have to admit this team wasn’t equipped to play at the top of the sport this year.

Coming off the national title, LSU was favored to do it again. Returning Reese and Johnson along with the transfer additions of [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] and [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] led many to believe this team would be even better.

But as the year went on, cracks started to emerge. Poole was dismissed from the team while [autotag]Sa’Myah Smith[/autotag] tore her ACL. Van Lith struggled to transition to a true point guard role. Mulkey expressed frustration as LSU struggled to defend, play in transition and protect the ball.

LSU was upset by Colorado, Auburn and Mississippi State. Three solid teams, but all well below LSU’s talent level.

I said this team lacked something, but it’s hard to say what that exact something is. If LSU had a point guard like Morris out there, is that enough to push LSU over the edge?

That wouldn’t solve the inconsistency we saw from this team or the inability to keep up with Iowa’s three-point shooting.

This team had no glaring weakness, but it had enough. And put together, it was enough to end LSU’s year. The Iowa loss is disappointing, but there’s a reason LSU was an underdog to begin with.

The immediate future is unclear. Reese and Van Lith both face WNBA decisions while Mulkey is sure to look in the transfer portal for some help at guard and improved depth.

Still, it’s hard to not trust Mulkey after her first three years in Baton Rouge. LSU will be back.

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LSU vs. Iowa Elite Eight Prediction and Pick: Can Tigers pull the upset?

LSU is a 1.5 point underdog to Iowa. Can the Tigers pull the upset?

After a year of speculation, we’re getting the rematch. [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] and LSU will face Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Elite Eight on Monday night with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

According to FanDuel, Iowa is a 1.5-point favorite, making LSU an underdog for just the third time this year. Both instances were against South Carolina and LSU went 0-2, but the Tigers were competitive in both games.

LSU passed its toughest test yet against UCLA, beating the Bruins 78-69. But Iowa, a top-three team in the country, poses a different challenge.

Despite Iowa being favored, LSU and Iowa have the same odds to win the region at +650.

I think Iowa is a good matchup for LSU. The Tigers proved that with their double-digit win last year and I think they’re peaking at the right time again this year.

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Flau’Jae Johnson’s emergence has given LSU the offensive star power it needs to compete with Clark and the Tigers have the advantage in the post with Reese and [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag].

I like LSU to cover the spread in this one, winning 82-74.

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LSU women’s basketball survives against UCLA, advances to the Elite Eight

LSU is moving on to the Elite Eight for the 10th time in program history.

It was a battle for four quarters, but the LSU women’s basketball team survived in the Sweet 16 against No. 2-seeded UCLA, overcoming a deficit in the final frame to win 78-69.

The Tigers advanced to their 10th Elite Eight in program history and reached the quarterfinal round of the tournament in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2007-08.

The first quarter was neck-and-neck, with both teams tied at 15 entering the second quarter. Eight of those 15 points for LSU were scored by [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag].

The Tigers controlled the second quarter, outscoring the Bruins 19-12 as they took a 34-27 lead over the higher-seeded team heading into the locker room.

UCLA flipped the script in the third quarter, however. It outscored the Tigers by seven and reclaimed the lead. LSU ultimately tied it at 48, but it was an entirely new ball game heading into the fourth quarter.

Both teams found themselves in foul trouble in a back-and-forth fourth quarter with [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag], [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] and [autotag]Aalyah Del Rosario[/autotag] all picking up four.

Though it played from behind for a lot of the final quarter, LSU took a lead in the final two minutes, and a clutch layup from Johnson put the Tigers up four. An offensive foul on the other end gave the Tigers the ball back up two possessions with 39 seconds to play.

LSU extended its lead to six, but Reese fouled out with 31 seconds to play. Still, the Tigers’ defense held up without her, and they made their free throws down the stretch to salt the game away.

Johnson was once again the offensive star, finishing with a game-high 24 points while also adding 12 rebounds. Reese also finished with a double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds) despite fouling out, while Morrow (17 points) and [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] (12) also scored in double figures.

Now, LSU will move on to face the winner of Iowa and Colorado in what will either be a rematch of last year’s national title or this year’s season opener. That game will be on Monday night.

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LSU’s Aneesah Morrow after Tigers advance to Sweet 16: ‘We’ve got to have coach Mulkey’s back’

“We’ve got to play hard and for one another — and that’s as simple as it is,” Aneesah Morrow said after Sunday’s second-round win.

LSU’s women’s basketball team advanced to the Sweet 16 on Sunday afternoon in back-to-back years for the first time since 2013-14 with an 83-56 win over Middle Tennessee.

The run to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament for the Tigers comes in the wake of some possible impending controversy off the court, as news leaked earlier this week that The Washington Post is working on an investigative report about coach [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] and the LSU program.

Mulkey addressed the report on Saturday in fiery terms, and while some players like Angel Reese said after Sunday’s game that they were not aware of the situation, forward [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] said that she had heard about it.

“Coach Mulkey’s had our back all year, so we’ve got to have Coach Mulkey’s back,” she said, per ESPN. “We’ve got to play hard and for one another — and that’s as simple as it is.”

LSU will move on to face either UCLA or Creighton, which face off in the second round on Monday night, in the Sweet 16 on Saturday in Albany, New York.

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Instant Analysis: LSU women’s basketball pulls away in second half to beat Middle Tennessee, advance to Sweet 16

The Tigers are moving on to their 16th Sweet 16 in program history.

The Tigers struggled early once again, but like in the first round against Rice, coach Kim Mulkey’s team ultimately pulled away to win in the second round of the NCAA tournament against Middle Tennessee State on Sunday.

This time, it trailed at halftime but dominated the second half en route to an 83-56 win. Now, the Tigers will move on to face either No. 2-seeded UCLA or No. 7-seeded Creighton in the Sweet 16.

LSU led for nearly the entire first quarter and by as much as eight in the frame, but a Middle Tennessee three in the final seconds cut the lead to five entering the second quarter.

The Blue Raiders won the second frame, however. They went on a 14-2 run at one point to take a six-point lead — its largest at that point — with less than two minutes to play in the half.

LSU hit a shot to end a 1 of 8 shooting streak in the final minutes of the frame, but it still entered the locker room facing a 36-32 deficit. Middle Tennessee opened the second half hot and stretched its lead out to nine, but LSU quickly answered with a 10-0 run as it erased the deficit and tied the game.

The Tigers stayed hot and ultimately led by 10 entering the fourth after outscoring MTSU 27-13 in the third.

The fourth was more of the same. LSU outscored the Blue Raiders 24-7 in the final quarter as it completely took control. [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] led the way in this one with 21 points, while [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] (20 points, 11 rebounds) and [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] (19 points, 13 rebounds) both turned in double-doubles.

LSU shot just 43% in the game and only won the rebounding battle by two, but it forced 16 MTSU turnovers while only committing nine itself.

Now, the Tigers are moving on to their 16th Sweet 16 in program history and will await the winner of the game between the Bruins and Blue Jays, which is set for Monday night.

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PHOTOS: LSU moves past Rice in NCAA Tournament opener

It was a little close for comfort but the Tigers advanced to the second round to face Middle Tennessee.

It was a bit too close for comfort at times, but the LSU women’s basketball team beat Rice 70-60 in its NCAA Tournament opener on Friday afternoon. With that win, the Tigers advance to face No. 11-seeded Middle Tennessee, which upset Louisville in its opener, on Sunday.

The Tigers led by just three at halftime, but they ultimately managed to pull away in the second half. [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] had a 10-point, 19-rebound double-double while [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] led the team in scoring with 15 points.

As the Tigers prepare for another matchup with a double-digit seed on Sunday, here are the photos from Friday’s win.

LSU women’s basketball survives against Rice in NCAA Tournament opener

The Tigers will move on to face Middle Tennessee in the second round.

It was much more anxiety-inducing than the 28.5-point spread would have indicated, but the LSU women’s basketball team survived and advanced as the No. 3 seed in its NCAA Tournament opener against Rice on Friday afternoon.

It wasn’t exactly smooth sailing for coach Kim Mulkey’s team, which led just 30-27 at the half. LSU pulled away to an 11-point lead at the end of the third, though, and while the Owls made a couple of runs in the fourth, they couldn’t close the gap.

[autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] finished with a double-double with 10 points and 19 rebounds, while [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] (15 points), [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] (14) and [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] (14) also scored in double figures.

After Louisville was upset by Middle Tennessee in its opener, the Tigers will now face the No. 11-seeded Blue Raiders in the second round on Sunday.

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