Tag: Mikaylah Williams

LSU women’s basketball avoids upset, beats Murray State

LSU women’s basketball was tested on Friday night, but Mulkey’s crew got the win

Despite trailing by nine points at halftime, LSU women’s basketball recovered and defeated Murray State 74-60 in Friday’s game.

The Tigers held the Racers to 14 second half points after being outscored 32-12 in the second quarter.

LSU moves to 4-0 on the young season, though this was its first real test of the season after three blowout victories where they won by over 50 points.

[autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] finished with 25 points, 10 of which were scored in the fourth quarter. She has double-digit point lines in LSU’s first four games. The guard added seven rebounds and five assists.

[autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] also finished in double-figures with  15 and 10 points, respectively. Morrow pulled down 14 rebounds to turn in her third double-double of the season.

Both teams turned the ball over 15 or more times. LSU recovered from an abysmal showing in the second frame where it shot 23.53% from the field. The Tigers shot over 50% in the second half.

LSU next game is Monday at home against Troy.

LSU women’s basketball adds another five-star recruit to 2025 class

Kim Mulkey and LSU are gearing up to land the top class in the country after adding another five-star on Wednesday

Kim Mulkey is one of the top recruiters in women’s college basketball and she proved it again on Wednesday, adding another five-star to LSU’s loaded 2025 class.

Forward Grace Knox, from Rancho Cucamonga, CA, announced her pledge to LSU.

ESPN ranks Knox as the No. 6 overall player in the class, giving LSU four five-star recruits in its 2025 class. Knox joins Zakiyah Johnson, Divine Bourrage, and Bella Hines.

Knox announced the commitment with a post on social media.

LSU now has three of the top 12 players in the 247Sports rankings and the class has a good chance to finish as the nation’s best.

Mulkey and staff continue to amass talent, giving LSU sticking power near the top of the sport. The Tigers are up there with the sport’s elite programs now and LSU recruits from a national pool of players.

Knox told On3’s Talia Goodman that she was drawn to Mulkey’s straightforward coaching style.

“I feel like Kim Mulkey will push me to a different level,” Knox said, “She’s controversial to some people, but the way she coaches, I’m OK with that.”

When the class arrives on campus, Mulkey should have her most talented group yet, especially if [autotag]Flau’jae Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] are still around.

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LSU women’s basketball picked to finish 3rd in SEC by coaches, 3 Tigers on preseason all-conference team

It’s expected to be another successful season for LSU women’s basketball in 2024-25.

The LSU women’s basketball team is ready to hit the ground running on what should be another successful season in Year 4 under coach [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag].

After capturing a national title in Year 2, the Tigers made it to the Elite Eight again last season and are looking to make another deep run with a roster that loses [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] but returns a lot of production elsewhere while adding a veteran transfer class.

The Tigers were picked to finish third in the SEC by the coaches, behind defending national champion South Carolina and Texas. Additionally, three players were named to the preseason All-SEC teams.

[autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag], the top two returning starters from last season, garnered First Team All-SEC honors while [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag], a true freshman standout from last year’s squad, was named to the second team.

Here’s the full predicted order of finish and preseason All-SEC teams from the league’s coaches.

Order of Finish

  1. South Carolina
  2. Texas
  3. LSU
  4. Oklahoma
  5. Alabama
  6. Ole Miss
  7. Tennessee
  8. Kentucky
  9. Auburn
  10. Mississippi State
  11. Texas A&M
  12. Vanderbilt
  13. Georgia
  14. Florida
  15. Missouri
  16. Arkansas

Player of the Year

Madison Booker, Texas

First Team All-SEC

Sarah Ashlee Barker, Alabama

Georgia Amoore, Kentucky

Flau’Jae Johnson, LSU

Aneesah Morrow, LSU

Madison Scott, Ole Miss

Raegan Beers, Oklahoma

Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina

Madison Booker, Texas

Second Team All-SEC

Aaliyah Nye, Alabama

Mikaylah Williams, LSU

Jerkaila Jordan, Mississippi State

Skylar Vann, Oklahoma

MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina

Raven Johnson, South Carolina

Rori Harmon, Texas

Aicha Coulibaly, Texas A&M

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How to watch LSU women’s basketball’s 1st exhibition against Xavier (New Orleans) on Thursday night

The Tigers are set to begin the 2024-25 campaign with an exhibition against Xavier (New Orleans) on Thursday night.

After a long offseason, the preseason No. 7 LSU women’s basketball team is finally set to return to the court for its first exhibition of the season on Thursday night as it welcomes Xavier (New Orleans) to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

Both this exhibition and next Wednesday’s against LSU-Alexandria will be free to attend for fans.

It will be a new-look LSU roster in many ways after adding an experienced transfer class featuring players like [autotag]Mjracle Sheppard[/autotag] and [autotag]Shayeann Day-Wilson[/autotag], but it also returns some familiar faces like [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] and [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag], who all starred on last year’s team.

[autotag]Jada Richard[/autotag], the top high school prospect in the state of Louisiana and a top-100 recruit nationally, also joins the fold and will make her debut in the purple and gold on Thursday night.

Xavier is an NAIA opponent coming off a 25-7 season that featured a first-round exit in the NAIA tournament. The Gold Nuggets were picked to finish second in the Red River Athletic Conference.

Here’s what you need to know to watch as the 2024-25 LSU women’s basketball team takes the floor for the first time on Thursday night.

How to Watch

  • Date: October 24, 2024
  • Time: 7 p.m. CT
  • Place: Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge
  • Stream: SEC Nework+ [afflinkbutton text=”Watch LSU vs. Xavier (New Orleans) live on ESPN+” link=”https://go.web.plus.espn.com/Vmrv2O”]
  • Radio: LSU Sports Radio Network

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LSU women’s basketball cracks the top 10 in preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

The Tigers are gearing up for what they hope will be another deep run in Year 4 under coach Kim Mulkey.

The LSU women’s basketball program is gearing up for what is expected to be another successful season despite losing [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag], one of the biggest stars in the sport, to the WNBA draft.

The Tigers return key starters [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] as well as standout sophomore [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag], and they also add a veteran-heavy transfer class as they look to make another deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

The preseason polls are high on coach Kim Mulkey’s team. LSU ranks seventh in the preseason AP Top 25, and it comes in at No. 7 in the preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, which was released on Thursday, as well.

The Tigers are joined in the top 10 by three other SEC teams: South Carolina (No. 1), Texas (No. 4) and Oklahoma (No. 12). Ole Miss (No. 20), Kentucky (No. 22) and Alabama (No. 24) are also all ranked while Vanderbilt and Tennessee received votes.

Here’s the full coaches poll as we prepare for the start of the 2024-25 season, which tips off for LSU on Thursday night with an exhibition against Xavier (New Orleans). The Tigers will face LSU-Alexandria in another exhibition on Wednesday night before beginning the regular season against Eastern Kentucky on Monday, Nov. 4.

Preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

Rank School (Last Year’s Record) Points First Place Votes
1 South Carolina (38-0) 770 27
2 Connecticut (33-6) 734 3
3 Southern California (29-6) 716 1
4 Texas (33-5) 670 –
5 Notre Dame (28-7) 629 –
6 UCLA (27-7) 612 –
7 LSU (31-6) 567 –
8 North Carolina State (31-7) 533 –
9 Iowa State (21-12) 487 –
10 Oklahoma (23-10) 457 –
11 Duke (22-12) 449 –
12 Baylor (26-8) 434 –
13 Kansas State (26-8) 407 –
14 Ohio State (26-6) 405 –
15 West Virginia (25-8) 285 –
16 North Carolina (20-13) 263 –
17 Louisville (24-10) 261 –
18 Maryland (19-14) 254 –
19 Florida State (23-11) 177 –
20 Creighton (26-6) 150 –
21 Mississippi (24-9) 135 –
22 Kentucky (12-20) 106 –
23 Nebraska (23-12) 92 –
24 Indiana (26-6) 75 –
25 Alabama (24-10) 57 –

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LSU’s Flau’Jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow named preseason Co-SEC Players of the Year

Despite losing Angel Reese to the WNBA, LSU has no shortage of star power in 2024-25.

Despite losing star forward [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] to the WNBA draft, the LSU women’s basketball team is gearing up for what should be another special season in Year 4 under coach [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag].

The Tigers enter the year ranked No. 7 in the preseason AP Top 25, and they have several players who received preseason accolades from the SEC media. LSU’s top returning stars in [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] were named preseason Co-SEC Players of the Year ahead of what should be a big season for both.

Unsurprisingly, they were each named First Team All-SEC preseason selections. [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag], who impressed as a true freshman last season, is a preseason Second Team All-SEC selection.

The Tigers reached the Elite Eight last season where it fell in a rematch against the Iowa team it beat to win a national championship the prior year. LSU will hope Mulkey’s team is set for another deep run next spring.

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LSU’s Mikaylah Williams, Team USA punch ticket to FIBA 3×3 U23 World Cup

Mikaylah Williams continues to star for Team USA in 3×3 international play.

While 31 former and current LSU athletes are in Paris competing in the Olympics, Tigers women’s basketball star [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] is representing the United States elsewhere.

On Sunday, Williams helped lead Team USA to a victory in the Nations League Americas, scoring eight points in the first game of the day and helping her team beat Puerto Rico 21-19 in the final match.

With the win in the Nations League Americas, the United States clinches a spot in the World Cup, which will take place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from Sept. 11-15. Williams is looking to win yet another gold medal after winning one with the U18 team in each of the last three World Cups.

Williams is expected to have a huge sophomore season for LSU this winter after she was named the SEC Freshman of the Year this past campaign while averaging 14.5 points.

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LSU women’s basketball in the top 10 of On3’s post-spring rankings

Despite their losses, the Tigers have a promising roster once again in 2024-25.

The LSU women’s basketball team is set for some major losses after its Elite Eight run in 2023-24.

The leader of the team, forward [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag], has moved on as she was the seventh overall pick in the WNBA draft. The Tigers also lost another starter in point guard [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag], who opted to enter the transfer portal and is now at TCU.

But the cupboard isn’t bare. LSU returns star [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] and promising second-year player [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] along with another large portal class of experienced players.

On3’s Talia Goodman recently ranked the top 25 teams in the country after spring, and the Tigers remain in the top 10, coming in at No. 7.

LSU brought in another major portal haul, but that didn’t quite jive the way the Tigers hoped it would last season. Hopefully, this loaded group of Shayeann Day-Wilson (Miami), Kailyn Gilbert (Arizona), Jersey Wolfenbarger (Arkansas) and Mjracle Sheppard (Mississippi State) will adjust to their roles. The Tigers may struggle following the departures of Angel Reese (WNBA) and Hailey van Lith (portal) but the transfers they landed should help ease that transition.

LSU still returns a group of high-level talent in Flau’jae Johnson, Aneesah Morrow and Mikaylah Williams. The Tigers are primed for success yet again but need to make sure the team chemistry is strong among newcomers.

Last season didn’t quite pan out how many expected for LSU, but this still looks like a team that could be poised for a deep run once again in 2024-25.

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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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