Veteran guard no longer with LSU women’s basketball

Coach Kim Mulkey and the Tigers kept the winning streak alive, as they beat Louisiana Lafayette 83-53 on Sunday afternoon. While it’s always exciting to get a win, coach Mulkey revealed some less than ideal news postgame, as veteran guard Kateri Poole is no longer with LSU women’s basketball.

Veteran guard Kateri Poole no longer with LSU women’s basketball

It’s been a rocky start to the 2023-24 women’s college basketball season for coach Kim Mulkey and the Tigers thus far, but it hasn’t slowed them down nearly as much as many likely hoped.

Despite dealing with several “locker room issues” early on, the team continued to win, having won their last nine since dropping their first vs. Colorado in early November. Now, it appears that the team has just about sorted things out.

Sunday Dub pic.twitter.com/O80JfODFdM

— LSU Women’s Basketball (@LSUwbkb) December 10, 2023

On November 30, star forward Angel Reese made her return to the court after a brief stint away from basketball. Notably, we haven’t seen much from junior Kateri Poole either, with her last receiving playing time on November 17 vs. Southeastern Louisiana.

However, it’s not looking likely that we’ll be seeing much of Poole for quite some time. When asked about the veteran guard postgame on Sunday, coach Kim Mulkey gave a short, to the point answer.

“She’s no longer with us,” coach Mulkey explained.

The Tiger head coach also noted that she’s specifically not with the team and is unlikely to be back this season.

Poole saw playing time on four separate occasions this year, averaging 12.7 minutes, two points, 1.5 assists and 0.5 steals per game. Prior to 2023, the veteran guard proved to be a consistent piece for her team, whether with Ohio State from 2020-22 or LSU last season. In total, she’s averaged 19.1 minutes, five points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game over the course of her career.

With Poole out of the lineup, expect plenty of the less experienced guards over the coming month or so. For now, though, senior Hailey Van Lith, junior Last-Tear Poa and sophomore Flau’jae Johnson will likely be used as the primary ball handlers as we rapidly approach SEC play.

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