Preview:
Well, this is it: A real test, in very hostile territory against a high powered team. Based on what happened at Indiana we fans might be skeptical of our chances. But we have also complained some about the level of competition, and there should be no more of that after Thursday.
LSU at 9-0 is ranked 5th. We are unranked but got the 28th most votes in the latest AP poll. Massey has LSU at 6 and Stanford at 11 but be careful of that 11—it is still influenced by last season’s numbers.
LSU is coached by Kim Mulkey, a controversial coach who left Baylor to rebuild LSU in 2021—something she did with astonishing speed in the day of ubiquitous transfers. Little known facts about Mulkey that are completely irrelevant but go against stereotype: she was born in California, she was her high school valedictorian with a 4.0 average.
Those looking for a vulnerability in the LSU team will want to re-watch the game against Washington, which LSU narrowly won 68-67. I don’t think LSU has been tested particularly in any of its other games. The only ranked team it has played was NC State in the same tournament with Washington, and LSU handled them 82-65. In other words, LSU has been dominant but also largely untested, save in those two games. LSU no longer has Angel Reese, gone pro, and lacks that kind of dominant talll player in the post. But they have a well balanced team with excellent forwards and guards.
LSU has three double digit scorers who have started all 9 games and play close to thirty minutes.
Flau’Jae Johnson, a 5’10” junior guard, is averaging 22 ppg and makes 43% of her treys. She has been at LSU all along.
Aneesa Morrow, a 6’1” senior forward, is averaging 18 ppg and makes 52% of her fgs. She transferred in a year ago after playing 2 years at DePaul.
Mikaylah Williams, a 6’0” sophomore guard, is averaging 14 ppg and makes 37% of her treys. She is also an original LSU player.
LSU has numerous other quality players. They also start a 6’2” forward and a 5’6” point guard, and get quite a few points off the bench from Kailyn Gilbert, a 5’8” junior guard. We know Kailyn well, since she played her first two years at Arizona.
So how did Washington play LSU so close? Washington surprised LSU and took a 24-11 lead in the first quarter, but LSU reasserted its defense and ground them down in the next three. Washington had 18 turnovers, but LSU was only 3/18 from three point range. The game was played in front of a crowd of 297, so I doubt very much that the energy level was anything like it will be when we play them in front of their own fans.
It is early in the season, and anything can happen. For us to win all kinds of things will need to go right. They could. But the advantage will definitely be with the more experienced team, probably the more talented team, playing at home after having suffered a scare at a recent tournament. On the plus side, I think we have the guards to defend Johnson, Williams, and Gilbert better than we would have last year, and our forwards should match up reasonably well with their forwards. Will this be the first Kate Paye "defining" game? If we get a win, it sure will. Otherwise we will chalk it up to rebuilding and the learning experience.
Well, this is it: A real test, in very hostile territory against a high powered team. Based on what happened at Indiana we fans might be skeptical of our chances. But we have also complained some about the level of competition, and there should be no more of that after Thursday.
LSU at 9-0 is ranked 5th. We are unranked but got the 28th most votes in the latest AP poll. Massey has LSU at 6 and Stanford at 11 but be careful of that 11—it is still influenced by last season’s numbers.
LSU is coached by Kim Mulkey, a controversial coach who left Baylor to rebuild LSU in 2021—something she did with astonishing speed in the day of ubiquitous transfers. Little known facts about Mulkey that are completely irrelevant but go against stereotype: she was born in California, she was her high school valedictorian with a 4.0 average.
Those looking for a vulnerability in the LSU team will want to re-watch the game against Washington, which LSU narrowly won 68-67. I don’t think LSU has been tested particularly in any of its other games. The only ranked team it has played was NC State in the same tournament with Washington, and LSU handled them 82-65. In other words, LSU has been dominant but also largely untested, save in those two games. LSU no longer has Angel Reese, gone pro, and lacks that kind of dominant talll player in the post. But they have a well balanced team with excellent forwards and guards.
LSU has three double digit scorers who have started all 9 games and play close to thirty minutes.
Flau’Jae Johnson, a 5’10” junior guard, is averaging 22 ppg and makes 43% of her treys. She has been at LSU all along.
Aneesa Morrow, a 6’1” senior forward, is averaging 18 ppg and makes 52% of her fgs. She transferred in a year ago after playing 2 years at DePaul.
Mikaylah Williams, a 6’0” sophomore guard, is averaging 14 ppg and makes 37% of her treys. She is also an original LSU player.
LSU has numerous other quality players. They also start a 6’2” forward and a 5’6” point guard, and get quite a few points off the bench from Kailyn Gilbert, a 5’8” junior guard. We know Kailyn well, since she played her first two years at Arizona.
So how did Washington play LSU so close? Washington surprised LSU and took a 24-11 lead in the first quarter, but LSU reasserted its defense and ground them down in the next three. Washington had 18 turnovers, but LSU was only 3/18 from three point range. The game was played in front of a crowd of 297, so I doubt very much that the energy level was anything like it will be when we play them in front of their own fans.
It is early in the season, and anything can happen. For us to win all kinds of things will need to go right. They could. But the advantage will definitely be with the more experienced team, probably the more talented team, playing at home after having suffered a scare at a recent tournament. On the plus side, I think we have the guards to defend Johnson, Williams, and Gilbert better than we would have last year, and our forwards should match up reasonably well with their forwards. Will this be the first Kate Paye "defining" game? If we get a win, it sure will. Otherwise we will chalk it up to rebuilding and the learning experience.