The Roster Outlook: Kim Mulkey, LSU Gearing Up For Important Offseason in Baton Rouge

Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith depart the program, Mulkey and Co. looking to add new faces.

Tigers Head Coach Kim Mulkey The LSU Tigers take down the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in the / SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA

Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers enter an important offseason in Baton Rouge as this program looks to reconstruct the roster once again.

With Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith departing the program, Mulkey and Co. will need to add talent via the NCAA Transfer Portal to add depth to an already talented group.

Headlined by sophomore sensation Flau'jae Johnson, SEC Freshman of the Year Mikaylah Williams and All-American Aneesah Morrow, LSU boasts a talented group, but adding depth will be of the utmost importance this offseason.

Here we took a look into the current roster, additions to this point and the direction this program will turn to in the portal:

The Current Roster (9 players):

LSU returns nine players from last year's roster in Johnson, Williams, Morrow, Last-Tear Poa, Aalyah Del Rosario, Sa'Myah Smith, Amani Bartlett, Janae Kent, Angelica Velez,

The Backcourt: Johnson, Williams, Poa, Velez and Kent

The Frontcourt: Morrow, Del Rosario, Smith and Bartlett

Johnson, Williams and Smith are pencilled in as starters for next season as long as Smith continues trending in the right direction with her recovery, but looking ahead, the Transfer Portal will be this program's best friend moving forward.

For Velez and Kent, after not seeing the floor much this season, it'll be key to monitor their decisions over the next few weeks. Will they elect to stay in Baton Rouge? If so, development will be imperative in order to crack the rotation.

Looking ahead to the frontcourt, this will be where the Tigers need to do damage this offseason.

As Smith progresses from a devastating knee injury, it'll be difficult to return for the start of the 2024-25 season and LSU will take her rehab slow.

For Del Rosario, taking that next step this summer is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle for this program. She must continue evolving in order for the Tigers to be competitive next season.

The Additions (2 players): Jada Richard and Jersey Wolfenbarger

LSU signed the No. 1 player in Louisiana in the 2024 cycle when Lafayette Christian Academy star Jada Richard put pen to paper with Mulkey's program. Richard, the top talent in the Bayou State, will be a piece to the future for this program and expectations are that she will not be thrown into the fire next season as a freshman.

For Wolfenbarger, the 6-foot-5 Arkansas transfer is an intriguing player for this roster given her defensive potential. The former five-star recruit will need to continue polishing her offensive game, but looking in the frontcourt, she will be a key piece to what LSU does next year.

The Portal Decisions

LSU currently sits at 11 scholarship players on roster. Women's basketball has 15 scholarship spots, but expectations are that LSU will not utilize all 15 as most programs do not in college. With 11 current scholarship players, the Tigers have room to work with.

We could see one or two players enter the Transfer Portal, but LSU has wiggle room here already. The expectation would be for Mulkey and Co. to add two or three more portal players.

The Needs: One point guard and two forwards.

LSU will host Clemson transfer Ruby Whitehorn for a visit to Baton Rouge this month with the Tigers putting a full-court press on the electric guard, sources tell LSU Country.

Another player to keep tabs on will be Michigan State transfer DeeDee Hagemann, who is also expected to visit LSU this month.

Expect the Tigers to be in the market for a coveted forward as well in the coming weeks. It's clear LSU will hit the portal with force and Mulkey and Co. aren't shying away from swinging for the fences here.

LSU Country will have the latest on the Tigers' portal approach as they navigate a busy offseason in Baton Rouge.

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