Kim Mulkey, LSU In Contact With High-Profile North Carolina Transfer Deja Kelly

The 3x First-Team All-ACC selection is a free agent with several programs pushing to land her services, including the Tigers.

Mar 3, 2023; Greensboro, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Deja Kelly (25) drives against Duke / William Howard-USA TODAY Sports

Kim Mulkey and LSU continue a busy stretch this offseason with the 2023 National Champions looking to construct another title contending roster for the 2024-25 season.

It's been a hectic stretch with this program navigating the NCAA Transfer Portal over the last few weeks, and as time passes, targets are emerging.

For Mulkey and Co., it's about adding depth to a talented roster while finding a true point guard to lead the squad for the 2024-25 season.

A new name has entered the mix for LSU: All-American point guard Deja Kelly. The North Carolina star is a free agent after four seasons in Chapel Hill.

The three-time All-ACC first team selection has kept the Tar Heels in the mix as an option, but sources confirm to LSU Country that the Tigers are making their push at her services.

A 2020 McDonald's All-American, Kelly was a five-star recruit out of high school before dominating during her time with North Carolina.

This past season, Kelly averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game on her way to another First-Team All-ACC selection.

She's one of the most coveted guards in the portal and LSU is certainly swinging at a few top players in the market.

LSU has been in contact with several high-profile transfer guards, but the biggest name of them all is All-American honorable mention Lucy Olsen.

Olsen, a 5-foot-9 junior guard from Pennsylvania, averaged 23.3 points in the 2023-24 season, behind only Iowa's Caitlin Clark (31.6) and USC's JuJu Watkins (27.1).

The No. 3 scorer in the nation was one of the top players in the Big East Conference last season, reeling in Big East Most Improved Player and unanimous All-Big East first-team honors.

Now, she's hit the free agent market with several programs pushing for her services.

Sources confirmed to LSU Country last Thursday that LSU is making their push in this one alongside a handful of powerhouse programs including Iowa and Stanford, among several others. The Tigers are hoping to get her in town for a visit. She most recently took a trip to Iowa on Tuesday, per source.

Iowa remains a team to beat here, but LSU will certainly put up a fight in this one for the top player in the portal.

The Tigers have lost two point guards to the NCAA Transfer Portal in Hailey Van Lith and Angelica Velez over the last week with this program now shifting all attention to the free agent market in search of a guard.

LSU has already reeled in former five-star prospect and Arkansas transfer forward Jersey Wolfenbarger via the portal with the Tigers looking to add two or three more players during the window.

A source confirmed to LSU Country that LSU will host Clemson transfer guard Ruby Whitehorn for a visit on April 26-27. The plan was to get Michigan State transfer guard DeeDee Hagemann down to Baton Rouge for a trip as well, but LSU is out of the running after the coveted guard committed to Ole Miss.

Now, it's full steam ahead in pushing for a point guard via the portal with LSU remaining in contact with Olsen, Whitehorn, Kelly and several others.

LSU Country will have the latest on the Tigers' Transfer Portal targets with Mulkey's program navigating the free agent market this month.

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Country: @LSUCountry_FN for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.