On Sunday, the LSU Lady Tigers fell in the NCAA Tournament, losing 72-65 to the UCLA Bruins in a game that was much closer down the stretch than the final score will indicate. The season comes to a close disappointingly as LSU had the talent to win a National Championship, but it wasn't a disappointing season as Kim Mulkey took the team to another Elite Eight.
The end of the season begins a new era as Kim Mulkey will have the task of retooling the roster to make a deep run next season. This roster had its flaws, as any production off the bench felt like a bonus, which led to Kim Mulkey riding her starters in most games. LSU also seemed to lack the Kim Mulkey style point guard for a second season, and at times in tough games, it hurt the offense.
The biggest loss by far is losing All-American Forward Aneesah Morrow, who will be impossible to replace. Aneesah Morrow was a walking double-double, averaging 18.8 points per game and 13.7 rebounds per game, leading the LSU Lady Tigers in both stats.
Shayeann Day-Wilson was LSU's starting point guard for most of the season, and while she wasn't a massive scoring threat, she handled her job as well as she could, distributing the ball to her superstar teammates. Last-Tear Poa didn't fill the stat sheet, but she always did exactly what the team needed, whether it was on defense or the presence she brought to the floor. Amani Bartlett didn't play much this season, but she leaves as the only player to play all four seasons under Kim Mulkey.
The Lady Tigers roster could then take a massive hit in the transfer portal, whether its with players looking to get more playing time or if Kim Mulkey reshapes the roster, sending players elsewhere. The biggest loss will come if Flau'Jae Johnson declares for the WNBA Draft, foregoing her Senior season, but, she'll likely take some time before deciding.
The good news for Kim Mulkey is that she has the Nation's top signing class coming in with four elite recruits. Bella Hines is a guard with the ability to shoot the three at a solid rate while she brings energy on the defensive side of the court. ZaKiyah Johnson is a guard with the size that is needed in the SEC, as she'll be able to switch defensively onto most players. Divine Bourrage can play all three guard positions on Mulkey's team, and she may be the guard Mulkey has missed the past two seasons. Grace Knox is the lone forward coming in, and her ability to rebound as well as on offense will be massive in replacing Aneesah Morrow.
Where LSU will need to improve this roster is via the transfer portal, as Mulkey will need to add some veterans to bridge the gap while the younger players develop. Depending on how many players enter the transfer portal, it'll give Kim Mulkey the ability to add veteran pieces that complement Mikaylah Williams and Flau'Jae Johnson.
The next few weeks will shape LSU's 2025-26 roster as players will start to enter the transfer portal from LSU in the coming days while Kim Mulkey can now focus on recruiting players out of the transfer portal.
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