Mikaylah Williams Is The Catalyst LSU Needs For A Title Run

By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter

Championship teams always have heroes. But in March, it’s the stars who steady everything – the ones who rise to the occasion when the margin for error disappears. During LSU’s 2023 title run, that responsibility fell to Angel Reese and Alexis Morris, who delivered in the biggest moments time and time again.

This season, that role belongs to junior guard Mikaylah Williams. And if the Tigers are going to cut down the nets in a week and a half, their path will have to run through her.

Across a 32-game regular season, Williams established herself as LSU’s most dependable player, averaging 13.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. More importantly, she proved to be a player without many weaknesses – something her teammate Flau’jae Johnson didn’t hesitate to point out.

“She shoots the ball, she can score, she can get downhill,” Johnson said about her teammate after LSU’s win against Texas Tech on Sunday. “She can do whatever she wants at will.”

MK12 GOES COAST TO COAST 😮‍💨

📺ESPN pic.twitter.com/uEWlRUd3nz

— LSU Women's Basketball (@LSUwbkb) March 20, 2026

Williams has taken that versatility to another level in the NCAA Tournament. Through two games, she’s averaging 21 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and two steals per contest – impacting every phase of the game.

Double the Madness 😈 pic.twitter.com/YvL6C1ZrrY

— LSU Women's Basketball (@LSUwbkb) March 21, 2026

“Her all-around game has just elevated,” head coach Kim Mulkey said on Sunday. “She’s a pro. She’s put herself at a level now where she’s going to be a high draft pick.”

What separates the best players in March isn’t just production – it’s their ability to raise everyone else around them. And Williams has done that all season. She scored in double figures in 25 of LSU’s 32 regular-season games, and in 15 of those performances, at least four other Tigers joined her in double figures – all resulting in wins.

When Williams is clicking, LSU becomes even more difficult to defend. Her scoring forces defenses to focus on her while her passing creates opportunities for others.

And if her recent stretch is any indication, there’s still another level coming. Both Mulkey and Johnson believe Williams has not peaked yet.

“I feel like everybody should be scared,” Johnson said. “I feel like she gets overlooked as one of the best players in the country, but that effort that she put tonight and that she put in Friday – that’s who she is. You’re going to see far more of it as the stage gets bigger. She doesn’t shy away from the moment.”

That’s exactly what LSU needs moving forward – a player who embraces the moment rather than falters in it. Big games. Bigger stakes. And No. 12 at the center of it all.

When Williams is at her best, LSU isn’t just dangerous – it’s championship-caliber.