After beginning the season in incredibly disappointing fashion with a loss to No. 20 Colorado in Las Vegas, the preseason No. 1 LSU women’s basketball team returns home to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Thursday night looking to bounce back.
The Tigers (0-1) will face Queens (0-1) in their home opener at 7 p.m. CT. Prior to the game at 6:20, the team will reveal its national championship banner from the 2022-23 season.
The Royals, a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference from Charlotte, are in their second season at the Division I level. They’re coming off an 8-21 campaign, and they began the year with a 91-44 loss to Ole Miss.
Here’s everything you need to know as Kim Mulkey’s team looks to secure win No. 1 on Thursday night.
How to Watch
Injury Report
LSU is healthy entering this game.
What Kim Mulkey said
“I’m excited about (the ceremony),” Coach Kim Mulkey who is now in her third season at LSU after leading the Tigers to their first National Championship in April. “I’m probably more excited about it for those getting (a ring) for the first time. It’s just fun for me to see the emotions involved when they look at that ring and have great memories.”
“It’s almost like last year’s team piecing it together,” Coach Mulkey said. “(This year’s team) we have two transfers (Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow) who can score the ball, but they don’t know how to defend the way we want yet. You’ve got returning players. You have a freshman (Mikaylah Williams) that’s got to play. You’ve got a sophomore that’s got to fill in for a fifth-year senior (LaDazhia Williams) from last year. That’s what we’re doing, and we’ll get there.”
Players to Watch
LSU
Queens
- Points — G Nicole Gwynn (11.0 PPG)
- Rebounds —G Adia Brisker (6.0 RPG)
- Assists — F Kinley Brown (2.0 APG)
- Steals — G Adia Brisker (1.0 SPG)
- Blocks — N/A
Prediction
LSU’s incompetence in the season-opener was stunning for a team this talented. It’s clear Mulkey has a lot to work on with this group, and while some tough non-conference games are coming down the pipeline, first up are some tune-ups. Queens isn’t nearly the team Colorado is, and this game should resemble the exhibitions more than the loss to the Buffaloes.
Prediction: LSU 95, Queens 45