Tag: LSU women’s basketball

LSU transfer Hailey Van Lith refutes reports that she has committed to TCU

Hailey Van Lith told the Associated Press that she has not committed to any program, though she is “close.”

[autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] opted to move on from LSU women’s basketball after one season, and when reports surfaced last week that Van Lith had committed to TCU, it seemed her recruitment was at an end.

However, the saga has taken another twist. On Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that Van Lith has not committed to TCU or any other program for that matter.

Though she said she’s “close” to a decision in a statement to the news outlet, Van Lith reiterated that she has not signed.

“I did take a visit to TCU and am very interested in them, but I took visits to other schools and was very interested in them, too,” Van Lith said. “I haven’t made an official commitment, but I’m very close. The ink has not touched the paper for any school.”

A highly anticipated transfer addition last offseason from Louisville, Van Lith moved to the point guard role this year at LSU and saw a dip in production, though she still averaged 11.6 points and 3.6 assists.

Tigers coach [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] said Van Lith was looking to play her final season with a team that would allow her to play her more natural position at the two.

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Former LSU basketball guard Janae Kent commits to SEC rival

LSU hasn’t seen the last of Janae Kent.

LSU hasn’t seen the last of former women’s basketball guard [autotag]Janae Kent[/autotag].

On Sunday, the rising sophomore announced that she will be transferring to SEC rival Texas A&M, meaning the Tigers will face her head-to-head next season.

A top-100 recruit coming out of high school in Oak Forest, Illinois, Kent appeared in 32 games this season as a true freshman, mostly in a rotational capacity.

Her one start came in place of an injured [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] in the SEC championship against South Carolina, in which she scored three points. She scored a season-high seven points in two games against Queens and Texas Southern.

Kent joins an Aggies team that is coming off its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2021. As a No. 11 seed, Texas A&M lost its opening-round matchup against No. 6-seeded Nebraska.

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LSU women’s basketball hosted elite transfer portal guard last week

Kailyn Gilbert averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists as a sophomore at Arizona.

After the Tigers’ national title defense season ended in the Elite Eight, they’re likely to hit the transfer portal hard once again after losing starting point guard Hailey Van Lith, who committed to TCU.

The LSU women’s basketball team may have a replacement in mind for the backcourt. It hosted Arizona guard transfer [autotag]Kailyn Gilbert[/autotag] last weekend, and the Tigers could be trending for the premier scorer.

A sophomore from Tampa, Gilbert has appeared in 55 games in her two seasons in Tucson, making 19 starts. This past season, she averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists. She led the Wildcats in scoring, and that mark ranked seventh overall in the Pac-12.

LSU has a lot to replace following the departures of Angel Reese to the WNBA draft and Van Lith to the portal. But with a player like Gilbert added to a backcourt that already features [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag], the Tigers could have a much more ferocious offensive attack next season.

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South Carolina’s Dawn Staley raves about Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso pairing in WNBA

Two college rivals are now set to join forces in the WNBA.

Two big-time college rivals are now set to join forces in the WNBA.

The Chicago Sky selected South Carolina center [autotag]Kamilla Cardoso[/autotag] third overall and later took LSU forward [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] with the seventh pick in the 2024 WNBA draft on Monday night. Now, two players who faced head-to-head multiple times in college will unite to create one of the toughest frontcourt groups in the league.

Speaking recently on 670 The Score, Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley had high praise for both players and said she was excited to see them play together.

“Kamilla is the ultimate competitor,” Staley said. “Angel Reese — ultimate competitor. We had a lot of battles, last year and this season. We were the top two teams in the SEC, so you know they are enemies by nature because of rivalry. But now they’ve joined hands in hopefully bringing a WNBA championship to Chicago. I’m a fan. I’m gonna get me some season tickets. I know I won’t be there the entire season. But somebody’s gonna be sitting in my seats cheering Kamilla Cardoso on.”

The pair will look to bring the Sky their second championship in franchise history after they won the WNBA in 2021.

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Former LSU point guard Hailey Van Lith commits to TCU

Hailey Van Lith is heading to the Big 12.

After one season in Baton Rouge, former LSU women’s basketball point guard [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] will finish out her collegiate career at TCU.

Van Lith committed to the Horned Frogs as a fifth-year transfer on Thursday, as was first reported by Talia Goodman of The Next. Van Lith came to LSU after an All-ACC season at Louisville, but she saw her production drop after moving from the two to the one spot.

She averaged 11.6 points and 3.6 assists this season, and she opted to enter the transfer portal after the Tigers’ Elite Eight loss to Iowa rather than join [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] in the 2024 WNBA draft.

Van Lith recently visited conference foe Mississippi State, but she’s instead heading to the Big 12. The Horned Frogs went 21-12 last season in the first campaign under coach Mark Campbell and reached the second round of the WBIT.

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WNBA draft shatters previous TV viewing record

Women’s basketball’s growth in recent years is undeniable, and the numbers back it up.

The growth of women’s basketball over the last few years is undeniable.

To know this is the case, all you have to do is turn on a sports talk show for a few minutes. But that growth is perhaps best reflected by the viewership numbers.

After the women’s NCAA tournament shattered a number of records — not just for women’s basketball but basketball games televised on ESPN, in general — it’s no surprise we saw the same effect with the WNBA draft on Monday night.

Featuring stars like Caitlin Clark, [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag], Cameron Brink and more, the 2024 WNBA draft was by far the most watched of all time coming in at just under 2.5 million viewers. For context, the previous draft viewing record was set in 2004 with 601,000 viewers.

The WNBA has seen its fair share of growth as well, but not quite at the level we’ve seen in college. With so many of these stars now matriculating into the league, it will be interesting to see if it has the same effect.

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Angel Reese on why she left LSU, declared for WNBA draft

Angel Reese shed some light on her choice to declare for the WNBA draft.

Despite having one year of eligibility remaining, LSU women’s basketball star [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] elected to declare for the WNBA draft.

The Chicago Sky selected Reese with the No. 7 overall pick on Monday night. Following the draft, Reese shed light on her choice to turn pro.

“I didn’t know what I was gonna do. Obviously, coming back would have been amazing for me. I wanted more for myself. I wanted to start over,” Reese said.

Reese was honored at LSU’s senior day but waited until the season concluded in the Elite Eight against Iowa to make her draft declaration official.

For Reese, it was about getting to face the best in the world night after night.

“I feel like I had been at a high since the national championship. I wanna hit rock bottom. I wanna be a rookie again,” Reese said.

Reese was dominant at LSU, averaging 20.9 points and 14.4 rebounds per game in her time as a Tiger. She led the SEC in total points the last two years and ranks 16th all-time on the NCAA’s career rebounds list.

The competition will get tougher, but Reese is ready to embrace it.

“This league is really competitive and I’m a competitive player,” Reese said.

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Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso being drafted to the Chicago Sky has fans making Tim Duncan and David Robinson memes

The internet is gonna internet, and these memes are glorious.

The Chicago Sky shook up the first round of the WNBA Draft Monday night when they drafted Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese. The team’s decision has fans making so many memes, including Tim Duncan and David Robinson comparisons.

After her stellar play in the national championship, there was always a chance that Kamilla Cardoso would get drafted sooner than where she was projected. The Chicago Sky scooped her up at pick No. 3 and then came back and grabbed Angel Reese at Pick No. 7, a pick they didn’t own before April 14.

Truthfully, that’s one heck of a first-round draft haul. Cardoso and Reese will likely do some serious damage on the glass, and the front office should be thrilled after the Sky had a very shaky off-season.

Fans immediately noticed the endless possibilities of what happens when pairing the two players together. Rightfully so, they responded with tons of memes, including several of former Spurs greats Tim Duncan and David Robinson.

Here’s some of the best the internet has to offer:

Photos of LSU’s Angel Reese at 2024 WNBA draft

Angel Reese was selected with the seventh overall pick by the Chicago Sky in Monday night’s draft.

Former LSU superstar forward [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] is moving on to the professional ranks, and she learned where she’s heading on Monday.

Reese was selected seventh overall by the Chicago Sky in the 2024 WNBA draft as she becomes the sixth LSU player to go in the top 10. She’s also the highest-drafted Tigers player since [autotag]Sylvia Fowles[/autotag] went second overall in 2008.

The move will also pair Reese up with her former SEC foe in South Carolina’s [autotag]Kamilla Cardoso[/autotag], who the Sky took third overall. Now, the team has a formidable frontcourt duo.

Here are the photos of Reese at the WNBA draft this week.

Kamilla Cardoso says nobody will be able to rebound on her and new Chicago Sky teammate Angel Reese

Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso were once competitors, but now the top-10 picks are teammates in Chicago.

Once fears competitors in the SEC, LSU’s [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] and South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso are now teaming up.

Both were selected by the Chicago Sky in the top 10 of the 2024 WNBA draft. Cardoso went third, while Reese went a few picks later at No. 7.

Those moves will shore up the frontcourt considerably for Chicago, which now has a pair of very tall trees in 6-foot-3 Reese and 6-foot-7 Cardoso.

Asked about Reese’s selection, Cardoso had just one thing to say.

“Nobody’s going to get no rebounds on us,” she said with a laugh.

Cardoso also said that Reese is a “great player.”

Cardoso and Reese were both members of the First Team All-SEC this season and are the last two Most Outstanding Players from the women’s NCAA tournament.

After competing against each other for the last two years, they will now come together to try to bring Chicago its second WNBA championship.

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