By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
The No. 5 LSU women’s basketball team (14-0) begins Southeastern Conference play on Thursday against No. 11 Kentucky (13-1) on “Dress Like Kim Mulkey Night” at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center (7 p.m., SEC Network+).
But the Tigers do not need a promotion for this game as they play a ranked team for the first time all season. And the Wildcats are the first of four ranked teams LSU will play in its first five games with No. 12 Vanderbilt on the road, No. 2 Texas and No. 8 Oklahoma on the road following Kentucky.
“I’m extremely ready to play SEC competition just to see how well we prepared these 14 games and just to see where we weigh out,” junior guard Mikaylah Williams said. “I’m ready to lock in and get to the hard part of the season, get to the postseason and just accomplish all the goals we want to accomplish.”
The Tigers are No. 1 in the nation in scoring offense with 108 points a game as seven players are averaging double-figure points – senior guard Flau’jae Johnson (15.1), junior guard MiLaysia Fulwiley
(15.1), Williams (12.6), freshman forward ZaKiyah Johnson (12.2), sophomore forward Kate Koval (12.1), freshman forward Grace Knox (11.5) and senior forward Amiya Joyner (11.4).
But LSU’s ability to score will be tested against Kentucky. The Wildcats have the No. 3 scoring defense in the country at 50.2 points per game, but Voice of LSU Women’s Basketball Patrick Wright does not foresee Kentucky making much of a dent in LSU’s offense.
“I don’t think LSU’s going to have difficulty finding good shots,” Wright told Tiger Rag Radio Tuesday night. “It might be a little harder now, but I don’t see anybody able to slow this offense down or hold them to 60-65 points in a game. I think the shots are going to be there.”
LSU’s post players will have to deal with one of the best centers in the country, however, in Kentucky’s 6-footj-5 junior Clara Strack. She is averaging 16.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 3.1 blocks per game. Strack has the second most blocks in the country with 43 in 14 games.
“The four of them (Koval, Joyner, Knox, Johnson) have no experience in the SEC, and yet I feel very comfortable and confident that they are going to give us everything they have,” Mulkey said. “I really do, and it’s good that I have confidence in all four of them. I can go two big, two small, one big, one small. I have multiple combinations I can use. Anyone.”
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