The LSU Tigers’ NCAA title defense has come to an end.
It was a season of ups and downs for the Tigers, who overcame several obstacles to get within three wins of returning to college basketball’s mountaintop. After defeating Iowa in last year’s championship game, the Tigers’ season ends at the hands of the Hawkeyes.
LSU bows out with an impressive 31-6 record but no hardware to show for it. The Tigers came up short in the championship game of the SEC tournament and again in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
With its season officially ending, it seems as though LSU faces more questions than it has answers for. At the center of everything stands head coach Kim Mulkey as well as star players Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith.
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Will Kim Mulkey’s future be impacted by recent controversy?
In late March, Mulkey threatened to sue the Washington Post after she was reported to be the subject of a big story.
After a week of speculation, the story was published before LSU’s game against UCLA in the Sweet 16 of the 2024 story. Within it were details of Mulkey’s home life, her treatment of gay players and clashes with stars at LSU and Baylor.
Ahead of the game, Mulkey had this to say of the article: “Are you really surprised by the timing of it? But I can tell you I haven’t read it. Don’t know that I will read it. I’ll leave that up to my attorneys.”
While the speculation ran rampant, the details disclosed in the story are not likely to threaten Mulkey’s future on the sideline. The 2023-24 season marked the first year of a 10-year, $36 million contract that runs through the 2032-33 season.
Is Angel Reese entering the 2024 WNBA Draft?
Reese is listed as a junior on LSU’s roster but has completed her fourth year of college athletics, two of which have come at LSU. She participated in LSU’s senior day festivities but remains undecided on a WNBA Draft decision.
“Angel said when she came here, she’d stay two years,” Mulkey said of Reese’s future with LSU. “I’m just not the kind of coach to sit people down and influence them on what agents to pick or talk them out of what they want to do.”
Reese comes in at seventh on The Sporting News’ most recent WNBA Mock Draft but could return to LSU for a fifth year. Reese was a freshman during the 2020-21 season, meaning she can return for a fifth season because her first year was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Is Hailey Van Lith entering the 2024 WNBA Draft?
Van Lith is listed as a graduate student on LSU’s roster but has only competed for four years collegiately.
Like Reese, Van Lith was a college freshman during the 2020-21 season and can return for another year because of the pandemic’s impact on her freshman season.
Mulkey added that Van Lith “would be more than welcome” to return for another season at LSU. Van Lith also has the option to transfer elsewhere or enter the WNBA Draft, though she does not currently grade out as a first-round pick.
Who is in LSU’s 2024 recruiting class?
LSU has two notable players that will join the program for the 2024-25 season.
In November, the Tigers signed Louisiana’s top high school prospect, Jada Richard. Richard, a 5-6 guard from Lafayette, La., is a four-star recruit and the 97th-best prospect in the class of 2024, per ESPN.
On March 26, LSU announced that it had signed transfer Jersey Wolfenbarger, a 6-5 wing who has two years of eligibility remaining. Wolfenbarger, a former McDonald’s All-American, averaged 5.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in two seasons at Arkansas before leaving the program ahead of the 2023-24 season.
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