LSU WBB: Will Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith Return Next Season?

Kim Mulkey weighed in on the pair of superstars' decisions, ability to use their COVID year if needed.

The 2023-24 season is nearing the finish line as March inches closer and a pair of LSU stars will quickly have decisions to make. 

While the Tigers continue trekking to the end of the year, both Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith will have decisions awaiting them at the end of the season.

Both superstars have played four years in college, but with the COVID year taking place during their freshman campaigns, Reese and Van Lith have an extra year of eligibility remaining. 

While Reese has thrown teasers on social media about a return to Baton Rouge, Van Lith has remained mum on the subject during her first season with LSU.

Reese and Van Lith will be honored on Senior Night on March 2 with LSU hosting Kentucky in the final home game of the season.

Head coach Kim Mulkey chimed in on whether she will influence their decisions:

“I don’t know if i’ll have a conversation with them,” Mulkey said. “Angel said when she came here she would stay two years and Hailey said she’d stay one. I’m not the type of coach to sit people down and tell them which agents to pick or talk them out of what they want to do. They know they have the COVID year to come back and they would be more than welcome, but I try to stay away from having any kind of influential conversation, particularly with Hailey and Angel because they made it perfectly clear when they came what they wanted to do.”

It's been a rollercoaster season for Van Lith as she navigates a new position.

A player who has taken time to adjust to an on-ball role as a point guard, the transition has been a work in progress, but Mulkey has stood by her lead guard. 

“I don’t ever think it’s fair to ask a player to play more than one position, and yet we are asking her to play a new position then in the middle of the game saying go play that old position, so that does a lot of things,” Mulkey said. “Her mindset has to change offensively, but she also has to guard differently than she was if she’s at the point. 

"I’ve been so pleased, because I understand that position and it’s hard. I look at turnovers and getting us into an offense. Defensively, unless you’re shooting a layup, you’re the first one back on defense and when you’ve never played that position, you don’t have to do that. She’s responsible for everyone coming back on defense. There’s a lot of things thrown at you. We’re asking her to learn a lot in the now. People need to understand what’s taking place. She’s starting to get a little smoother and more comfortable and I sure am glad we have her.”

When it comes to Reese, her stardom rose to new heights during her first season with LSU last year. 

After propelling the Tigers the first National Championship, she became an icon both on and off the floor.

Mulkey discussed her immediate rise to fame, the NIL aspect and more:

“Who has done it that quickly?” Mulkey said. “With the NIL rules, the transfer portal, and all of these things that are going on in women’s basketball, who has done it in a year? Who has ever done that in their first year in college? Win a national championship, she’s huge in social media and NIL, she broke Sylvia Fowles record in her first year. The things she did in one year are pretty impressive.”

Now, with the season winding down, the pair of LSU stars will have decisions to make as the reigning National Champions look to defend their title in the coming weeks.