LSU women’s basketball head coach Kim Mulkey’s extensive recruitment of Scared Heart Academy guard ZaKiyah Johnson paid off after the No. 13 ranked recruit officially chose the Tigers for her college career. LSU also locked down the no. 12 ranked guard Divine Bourrage and No. 30 Isabella Hines, looking to boost the squad following the departure of key players like Angel Reese.

Mulkey was said to be heavily involved in recruiting Johnson as top 2025 player Aaliyah Chavez continues to mull over the recruitment process and has yet to commit to a university. Johnson, who is a 5-star recruit with a 97 out of 100 ranking, decided to select the Mulkey-led Tigers on SportsCenter Live’s Instagram account, where she noted the university’s culture created by the head coach for her decision.

“I picked LSU for their culture. I know coach Mulkey and her players know what it takes to be on the big stage and win a championship, and I want to compete with players I hadn’t seen normally, living here in Kentucky my whole life,” Johnson said in response to her decision. “Now it’s time to explore and I love how they made it still feel like home.”

In addition to Johnson, LSU also secured the No. 6 recruit in the Class of ’25, 6-2 wing Grace Knox. With four commits in the top 30 of the draft class, Knox also spotlighted Mulkey in her decision to play in front of 12,215 rowdy LSU fans at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center over her short list of other schools, which featured USC, Texas, and Tennessee.

“All of the programs that were in my final four were great. I felt like Coach Mulkey’s coaching style is going to be good for me. Passionate coaching brings out the best in me,” said Knox. “Everything felt right on my visit, and I feel like I fit their style of play. I know they have a very passionate fan base, and I was able to see that on my visit.”

The Tigers opened this season with a dominant 95-44 win over Eastern Kentucky led by senior guard Annesah Morrow, who had 20 points and ten rebounds, and junior guard Flau’jae Johnson, who scored a team-high 25 points on 67 percent shooting. For comparison, the Colonels shoot 26 percent from the field as a team, with three players reaching a team-high nine points.

Kim Mulkey coaches LSU

Mulkey has helped LSU land 4 commits in the top 30 list ( 

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Getty)

Mulkey is a four-time NCAA championship-winning coach with three titles in Baylor before taking the job at LSU in 2021. It took her just two seasons to win her first title with the Tigers, defeating a Caitlin Clark-led Iowa team 102-85, aiding in preventing the WNBA Rookie of the Year from claiming a college title on her long list of basketball accolades.

LSU is ranked as the nation’s No. 7 program behind the defending champions and No. 1 ranked South Carolina Gamecocks. Paige Bueckers and UConn sit at No. 2, with Juju Watkins and USC at No. 3.