James Snook-Imagn Images
BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU women’s basketball will return to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Thursday when the Tigers host Mississippi College at 7 p.m. CT for the program’s first of two exhibition games prior to the 2025-26 regular season.
Both exhibition games are free for fans to attend inside the Maravich Center. Fans can listen to the action on the LSU Sports Radio Network with Patrick Wright and Shaeeta Williams on the radio call. The contest can also be streamed on SEC Network + as a simulcast with Wright and Williams calling the game.
LSU will host Langston next Thursday, October 30 for its final exhibition before welcoming Houston Christian to the PMAC for its regular-season opener. There are a limited number of season tickets on sale, and single-game tickets became available to the public officially on October 22.
Coach Kim Mulkey returns for her fifth season leading the Tigers after another Elite Eight run last season. LSU returns key players including First-Team All-SEC duo Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams. Kailyn Gilbert, an important role player who logged impactful minutes last year, also 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.
Mississippi College reached the Gulf South Conference Tournament Quarterfinal, but saw its season come to a dramatic end, 64-61, against Lee University. The Choctaws finished last season with a record of 15-14 overall and 11-11 in conference play. The 15 wins on the season tied the most for the program since its return to Division II and the GSC. It also garnered its first postseason All-GSC performer in 30 years and its first all-conference selection since 2014.
The Choctaws are led by first-year head coach Rachel Travis.
**LSU PRESS RELEASE**
