With Angel Reese on the Verge of WNBA Declaration, Can the LSU Lady Tigers Win the Tournament Consecutively?

It’s a happy ending for Lady Tigers as they defeated Kentucky Wildcats in their last regular season game. Now, the Angel squad is looking forward to the March Madness. While LSU won the NCAA Championship title last year, their fandom is concerned if Louisiana can bag the title once again.

What mounts additional pressure on them is that this can be Angel Reese’s and Van Lith’s last season with the Kim Mulkey-coached team. A detailed look into their gameplay and team can provide better answers regarding their chances.

A Formed team

Lady Tigers have lost their games mostly by a close margin. The problem with LSU most of the times is that they’ve been weak defensively. However, they did cover it up in the other games they played. Offensively, they were restricted by the opposition and defensively they let loose a few points. What stands for LSU’s credit is that they lost a close battle to the undefeated team of the tournament which is South Carolina Gamecocks.

Their most humiliating win came during their game against Colorado but LSU can be discounted since it was a season opener and the team was still looking to adjust themselves. It is to be noted here that LSU under Kim Mulkey comprises a lot of stars that have been roped in to ply their trade.

While during the 2022-23 season, LSU gained from transfers from Angel Reese, Last-Tear Poa, and Kateri Poole, this particular season they were benefited by two transfers from Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow. Hence, it was obvious that LSU needed time to adjust themselves to the conditions and form bonds within their team before decimating the opposition.

Since that loss, LSU were hammered in only 3 more games, and they certainly deserve applause for that. When it comes to players, Lady Tigers have become a strong team. Both Reese and Morrow are at the zenith of their performances.

Exceptional Performances

While Reese averages a whopping 19 points with 13 rebounds per match, Morrow too averages double-doubles with 16.7 points per contest and 10 rebounds per outing. Both of these players have helped lift LSU to the top team that it is today. Another important thing to note in the current LSU team is that they run deep. They’ve guards Mikaylah Williams, Flau’jae Johnson and Hailey Van Lith as their third, fourth, and fifth players. 

Williams has decimated 14.9 points per game whereas Johnson has smashed 13.7. Similarly, Van Lith has ably supported the team with her cameos and sometimes even went on to become the best scorer for her squad. She currently averages a decent 12.3 points per match. Therefore, it would be an understatement to say that Mulkey formed a top contention team.

LSU’s history walking down the line will have a separate chapter for Mulkey who took over the head coaching position in 2021. Her recruiting has been top tier and that has helped LSU to be the indomitable force they are.

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When it comes to bench strength, the Pete Maravich Centre team is capable of clobbering up their opponents with a high ceiling on the given day. While Sa’Myah Smith showed her prowess in a game against Mississippi Valley State when she thrashed 21 points with 11 rebounds, Aalyah Del Rosario smashed a humongous 27 points against the McNeese. These performances are proof enough that Lady Tigers have a lot of potential and a bench strength that can come handy in crucial moments.

Can the LSU win it?

Angel and Co. can win the NCAA tournament and there is no doubt about that. The only thing that can come their way is consistency. Since this is a single-elimination tournament, Lady Tigers will have to be careful not to make any mistakes. Hopefully, they’ve permanently resolved their defensive woes and they won’t make judgemental errors going forward in the tournament.

Another thing that LSU will have to keep in mind is that they make room for their bench when their core players find it difficult to perform. They have already shown that they have great players even when going deep. This can likely propel them to emerge victorious in tough games. LSU will have to give chances to lesser-recognized players when the situation demands.

This year is crucial since it might be the last for two of their stars Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith. Therefore, it is important that both of them deliver their best and provide the impetus for this team to win another championship title consecutively.

The conference tournament games will more or less give a clearer picture for LSU. And fans would be curious to see if Lady Tigers are able to make it through their conference performance, or if they need an at-large bid to qualify for the March Madness.

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