WBB Injury Report: Updates on two LSU starters in season opener

LSU begins its season on Monday at 7 p.m. against Eastern Kentucky and sources tell the Bengal Tiger On3 that sophomore guard Mikaylah Williams and transfer point guard Shayeann Day-Wilson are both healthy and good to go and will be active.

Williams did not play in either exhibition game as she recovered from a minor sprained ankle she suffered in practice, while Day-Wilson was dealing with a hip pointer. Head coach Kim Mulkey said after the second exhibition game on Wednesday that both could have played, but were held out for precaution.

LSU is going to be without rotation guard Mjracle Sheppard for a couple of weeks according to Kim Mulkey as she deals with a stress reaction that LSU does not want to make worse. Also, there has been no update on the availability of Last-Tear Poa who was away from the team in recent weeks and then filed a lawsuit against US Immigration Services over the ability to make NIL on her school Visa.

Third-year forward Sa’Myah Smith missed the first exhibition game two weeks ago but was a full participant in the second one. Freshman point guard Jada Richard left the second exhibition after turning her ankle, and even though it was not significant, LSU may choose to stay on the safe side with her tonight. I’m told she’s a gametime decision.

Outside of that, LSU should be healthy and ready to roll to begin the season.

Williams is expected to be one of the main contributors in her second year at LSU, but in the two exhibition games, Flau’Jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow led the way in scoring and the two potential all-americans are once again going to be focal points for the program. LSU was predicted to finish third in the SEC and begins the year No. 7 in the AP Polls coming off of an Elite Eight season, but losing star forward Angel Reese to the WNBA.

We’ll see if returners Sa’Myah Smith and Aalyah Del Rosario can help shore up the center position this season as the Tigers have one of the more talented starting lineups in the country and now built in depth to help get through the year.

“They’re not going to change,” Mulkey said of LSU’s returning core. “I expect them to be the same people they’ve been since they’ve been here. They’re not going to pretend to be someone they’re not. They’re great basketball players. They’re going to do their thing and be who they are.

“(Flau’jae) might have been the best guard in the NCAA playoffs last year,” Mulkey said. “I mean, that young lady was phenomenal, and I think what you’re seeing is comfort, a leader. You’re seeing things come easy for her, and it’s because she has all that experience. She puts in the work.”

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