LSU enters 2025-26 season ranked No. 5 in AP poll

James Snook-Imagn Images

BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU women’s basketball team will enter the 2025-26 season as the No. 5 team in this year’s preseason AP Poll.

Coach Kim Mulkey enters her fifth season after reaching the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament for the third-straight season. She returns two starters from last year’s team in Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams who were both named to the Preseason All-SEC teams on October 13.

The Tigers have two exhibition games on October 23 and October 30, both of which are free for fans to attend in the PMAC. LSU will officially open its season on November 4 at home against Houston Christian.

The Southeastern Conference has eight teams ranked in the preseason AP poll including No. 1 South Carolina, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 LSU, No. 6 Oklahoma, No. 8 Tennessee, No. 12 Ole Miss, No. 19 Vanderbilt, and No. 24 Kentucky. LSU will also face preseason No. 7 Duke on the road at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The Tigers also return key contributors from last year’s team. Kailyn Gilbert, an important role player who logged impactful minutes last year returns to the loaded backcourt alongside sophomore Jada Richard, who will look to build on her strong freshman season. Senior Izzy Besselman also returns to this year’s squad for the final time in her hometown.

LSU brought in a trio of transfers. The Tigers added the gem of the offseason recruiting cycle in MiLaysia Fulwiley from South Carolina and two post players, Amiya Joyner from East Carolina and Kate Koval from Notre Dame.

LSU will put the No. 1 recruiting class on display this season with Bella Hines, ZaKiyah Johnson, Divine Bourrage, and Grace Knox. LSU’s class was unanimously ranked No. 1 across all the different recruiting services. All four signees were five-star recruits who rank as high as the top-24. LSU would add Meghan Yarnevich in May to round out the freshman class for the 2025-26 season.