By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
LSU freshman forward ZaKiyah Johnson was originally recruited as a guard. The 6-foot consensus five-star prospect finished her high school career with 3,870 points and made history as the first player in Kentucky to win the Gatorade Kentucky Girls Basketball Player of the Year award in all four years of her high school career.
During the offseason, LSU knew it had plenty of depth in the backcourt, but the same could not be said for its post players. Head coach Kim Mulkey knew Johnson’s talent and athleticism could help the team in multiple ways, so she moved her down low.
Even though she may be undersized in the post, Mulkey believes Johnson gives LSU valuable versatility in the paint.
“She’s deceptively powerful in there,” Mulkey said after the Tigers’ win over Georgia Southern. “She’s hard to block out. She’s going to always get those boards and she can leap. She can play the perimeter. It’s just what she does inside to help us make up for rebounds.”
With just two regular-season games remaining, it’s safe to say Mulkey’s decision has paid off. Johnson is averaging 10.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists through 27 games, including 16 starts as a true freshman.
In LSU’s 108-55 win over Missouri (16-13, 4-10 Southeastern Conference) on Sunday, Johnson recorded her third double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Eleven of her fourteen boards came from the offensive end of the floor.
“Well, just being smaller, coach Mulkey always says I have a quick leap, so I’m kind of eyeing the ball, seeing where it’s going and I’m using my quickness to get up and go grab it really quick,” Johnson said after the win against Missouri. “It’s just something I’ve been doing my whole career and now, it’s kind of an emphasis for me.”
Mulkey’s coaching philosophy emphasizes two aspects of the game– rebounding and defending. Johnson’s relentless ability to rebound has helped keep her on the floor as of late, including in yesterday’s performance where LSU grabbed an NCAA Division I era program and SEC regular season-record 72 rebounds.
“Rebounding is a big part of our game,” Johnson said. “It was one of our ways to win – dominate the boards. It should be like that every game too, but it makes it a lot easier for our guards to run out when we grab the ball.”
Johnson’s rebounding ability isn’t the only thing that fits Mulkey’s style of play. With plenty of experience as a guard, she uses her facilitating skills and speed to push the ball after grabbing a defensive rebound. Johnson said LSU is at its best in the fast break – something she and Mulkey both embrace.
“I mean, it’s fun,” Johnson said. “You can get really creative. Everybody on the floor is sprinting. They got a different bag, and you just have a lot of weapons all the way down the bench, even when you get to the bigs, but you know, we can get in there and run and it’s always more fun.”
Mulkey has said multiple times that Johnson could return to playing guard in the future, but for now, her development in the post continues to benefit the Tigers.
ZaKiyah Johnson on her development at the 4 spot this season.
— Cory Diaz (@ByCoryDiaz) February 22, 2026
“Bob Starkey has helped me work on some of my post moves. It’s about to get scary.”#LSU pic.twitter.com/rkK7pS5zmX
LSU (24-4, 10-4 SEC) will host Tennessee (16-10, 8-6 SEC) on Thursday evening at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center (5 p.m., ESPN). With a win, the Tigers would clinch a top four seed and a double bye in the SEC Tournament.
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