“Sometimes, losing is all it takes to win again.” The quote might sound poetic, but this has been the LSU Tigers and HC Kim Mulkey’s current mindset. The Tigers lost it against the UCLA Bruins in the Elite Eight, but that’s not taking away their rock-solid will. 

Despite the upset, Mulkey is not stepping back, not for now at least. She has a lot of inspiration within the college basketball scene that can guide her through. Earlier, South Carolina and Dawn Staley learnt the transfer portal dilemma firsthand. Their top prospects opted to explore a transfer out of the team. The head coach is now faced with a similar dilemma, and the telling details say she is deep into it. Deeper than Staley was some time ago. 

The Mulkey-led Tigers are currently facing a familiar situation that’s becoming all too common in college basketball. The NCAA Transfer Portal continues to surprise coaches and team management while reshaping rosters. And Mulkey finds herself in a tricky situation. She has new offers for another batch, but she also has unexpected departures.

Despite adding forwards Kate Koval and Amiya Joyner via the free agent market, LSU saw as many as five departures. Among the players who have decided to leave Baton Rouge, Sa’Myah Smith and Last-Tear Poa stand out as the major ones.

Smith, who fought hard to overcome serious injuries, had an inspiring comeback and played a key role in the Tigers’ success. Last-Tear Poa, another crucial contributor during her time at LSU, has also entered the Transfer Portal. As a player with experience and a big role on the team, losing her leaves a gap that Mulkey will need to fill quickly. However, Mulkey is not standing still. She is actively looking to boost her roster with new talent – despite the transfer portal woes.

Kim Mulkey Is Going All-In For LSU Recruitment

While the LSU Tigers met with ill fate and witnessed their established players depart, only aggressive recruiting could help them. Kim Mulkey is actively recruiting new talent for the Tigers right before the 2025-26 NCAA season. The team faced a tough end to their previous season, losing to UCLA in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.

Currently, they are focusing on recruiting All-Big Ten forward Serah Williams, who is the third-ranked forward in the transfer portal. Williams visited LSU for several days this week.

The coaching staff and players, including Flau’Jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams, rolled out a warm welcome during her visit. They even took her out for a celebratory dinner complete with sparklers and a banner reading “welcome to Baton Rouge.”

However, LSU is not alone in their pursuit of Williams’ services. They have both North Carolina and UConn catching major interest in securing her talents. Williams, a 6-foot-4 forward, averaged an impressive over 19 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game. She had all of this done even before entering the transfer portal following the resignation of her previous coach, Marisa Mosley. 

In her announcement on Instagram, she expressed gratitude towards her coaching staff and community at Wisconsin before declaring her intent to transfer. So things stand at a mere speculation for the LSU fans. Just wait and watch.