By KACE KIESCHNICK, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey’s philosophy may have to change a little this year. The four-time champion head coach has achieved success with big, physical teams throughout her career, but in the Tigers’ 159-31 exhibition win over North Texas-Dallas on Thursday, only two players taller than 6-feet saw the court.
“We don’t have (size) right now, so you got to use your athleticism,” Mulkey said during her postgame press conference. You use that with speed and quickness, which we do have.”
Mulkey’s two tallest players, forwards Anna Minaeva (6-5) and Noa Morro (6-3), are both rehabbing from injuries. Mulkey announced last month that Morro, a former Spanish professional, would likely be sidelined until late November as she recovers from shin surgery. She revealed after the exhibition that Minaeva, a 17-year-old from Moscow, Russia, is managing a quad injury.
“It’s not a deep bruise or anything like that,” Mulkey said. “What you try to learn is: what is her pain tolerance? And I think she’s ready to be out there. I don’t know in sports if anybody ever plays with just zero pain every day. I think you’re always going to have something. And so we just wait for the trainers and the doctors to say she can go.”
Mulkey expects Minaeva to be back on the court on Monday, ahead of the Tigers’ second exhibition against Loyola New Orleans on Thursday. Even when they are able to return, Mulkey said Morro and Minaeva are new to college basketball. Without experienced size in the frontcourt, the Tigers could rely on small ball in the early season.
“I have a coaching staff that will help me realize that our best team for a long period of time this year might be small, and you go with what you think is going to give you an opportunity to win until your bigs become comfortable,” Mulkey said.
That means Mulkey’s squad would rely on the blistering pace and athleticism that was put on display on Thursday. The Tigers took 84 shots against the Trailblazers and made 59 of them. They nabbed 36 steals, got out in transition often and finished the game with 61 fast break points.
Guard MiLaysia Fulwiley (5-9) led the way with 32 points and 17 assists as five Tigers scored 20-plus points. Without the pair of international post players, Mulkey turned to sophomores Grace Knox (6-3) and ZaKiyah Johnson (6-0) down low, while Fulwiley, Jada Williams (5-6), and Mikaylah Williams (6-0) filled out the rest of the starting five. Johnson played the post her freshman season, but Mulkey said she would like to use her all over the court this year.
“She will play the three, and then she’ll play the four for us this year,” she said. “A lot of that will depend on the development of the big kids, how much I can push her outside to play, because she’s got to be on the floor. She just makes things happen.”
Johnson finished with 23 points and a team-high 10 rebounds, and Knox grabbed five boards and scored 21 points. While Johnson’s frontcourt minutes will depend on how others progress, Knox is the only sure-thing LSU has in the post right now. She has the size to compete down low and the athleticism to keep up with the rest of the lineup if they do need to play small.
“I think Grace may be right now the most focused that she’s ever been,” Mulkey said. “Her practices are just really good. She’s pushing herself.”
Sophomore Meghan Yarnevich (6-0) and freshman Lola Lampley (6-2) took the post minutes off the bench. Mulkey said that she recruited Lampley to play on the perimeter, but she will get her minutes on the inside as a freshman like Johnson did because of the experience the Tigers have on the outside. In her first collegiate experience she made three of seven shots and six of 11 free throws for 13 points and had one rebound, three steals and four turnovers.
“I think she played good and bad,” Mulkey said. “I’m sure she was nervous. I’m sure that’s the first time for her to play at this level.”
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