Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers suffered a devastating 85-87 loss in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament against the Duke Blue Devils. Days after the loss, Mulkey said that she was hoping to retain most of her players.
During a conversation with WAFB-TV’s Jacques Doucet, she said that Divine Bourrage was the only one leaving LSU through the transfer portal. Over the last two weeks, three more players have been added to that list.
First, it was Bella Hines who made the shocking announcement. She entered the transfer portal after just one season with LSU, and two days ago, she committed to the TCU Horned Frogs.
Kailyn Gilbert has also entered the transfer portal after two seasons with the Tigers. She has been out of the team since November due to personal reasons. She only played five games last season, and now Gilbert will leave the program for an opportunity elsewhere.
Jada Richard is the last player to leave LSU as of now. This was another shocking exit from Mulkey’s camp, as the head coach was confident about retaining her for the next season.
“Man… where do I start? LSU has been home for me, and I’m so grateful for every single moment I got to wear that jersey. To the fans, thank you for showing love every game, every cheer, every message… it never went unnoticed. Y’all really made this special,” Richard said in her statement.
On the positive side, LSU has made some great additions in the transfer portal window. Former Florida Gators guard Laila Reynolds is set to join Mulkey’s program. Last season, she averaged 12.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
The Tigers are also adding Jada Williams from the Iowa State Cyclones. She had a great run with Iowa State last season, averaging 15.3 points, 7.7 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game.
Kim Mulkey Talked About her Transfer Portal Plans
Mulkey was confident that the core of her LSU roster would be intact for the next season. She thought most of the players would return, and she wouldn’t need to go all-in during the transfer portal window.
After the Sweet 16 loss against Duke, Mulkey said she planned on adding two or three players to the roster and then taking a break.
“I plan to get in the portal and get two or three more players and take a little time off, go see my grandchildren, who actually flew in and got in late and didn’t even see the game. But I’ll get to visit with them tonight in the hotel,” she said.
A part of that plan changed once players started making surprising transfer portal decisions. Mulkey has managed to add two of the best players in the transfer portal window so far, and the Tigers are keeping a close eye on several other talented players.
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