By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
Before the 2026 women’s college basketball season began, LSU junior guard Mikaylah Williams was nationally known as a primary scorer, but this season, she’s added more to her arsenal. Now, she’s doing a little bit of everything on the court, which includes locking down on the defensive end of the floor.
LSU head coach Kim Mulkey challenged Williams this offseason to become more of a complete player, particularly emphasizing the importance of defending at an elite level.
“That’s something she’s been riding me on since I’ve been to LSU and that’s something that I wanted to improve on and that’s something I know needs to continue to improve to be great on this level and good on the next level as well,” Williams said.
The Bossier City, Louisiana, native, is having her best season yet when it comes to defending. Currently, Williams is averaging a career-best 1.5 steals per game through 18 games. In LSU’s 70-65 win over No. 2 Texas (18-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) on Sunday, Jan. 11, Williams had five steals, which was her career high. Not only are people in Baton Rouge noticing Williams’ improvements, but so are others around the country.
“I thought Mikaylah was different that she really was active defensively, more so than normal, and real handsy,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said after the Longhorns’ loss to LSU (16-2, 2-2 SEC). “Was real handsy and her size, if she can keep you in front of her, her size affects you, you know, your ability to shoot.”
So, what allowed Williams to become such a solid defender this offseason?
“Probably us continuing to get her in the best shape of her life,” Mulkey said. “Her strength has always been a great thing, she’s a very powerful player. And just experience. This is her third year in college.”
Williams’ defensive intensity is picking up, but it’s also helping improve the entire team’s ability to limit opponents when it comes to scoring. Texas went into Sunday’s matchup with the No. 3 scoring offense in the country (91.9 ppg) but was held to just 65 points on 25-of-47 shooting (43.9%). The 65 points were the fewest the Longhorns have had all season.
“Like coach Mulkey said, we need to pressure people like people pressure us,” Williams said. “It’s something we’ve really taken pride in and that’s something me and Jada (Richard) have talked about over and over again, just picking up that defensive intensity. When we pick it up, the people behind us are going to pick it up.”
LSU’s defense will be tested once again come Sunday, Jan. 18. The Tigers, who moved up to No. 6 in the AP Poll this week, will travel to Norman to take on the No. 2 scoring offense in the country in No. 13 Oklahoma (14-2, 2-2 SEC) at Lloyd Noble Center (2 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2).
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