LSU Women's Basketball Signee Named Naismith Player of the Year Finalist

Kim Mulkey continues reloading for the future, 2023 signee prepared for LSU after historic senior season.

LSU Women’s basketball signee Mikaylah Williams was announced on Tuesday as one of five finalists for the Naismith High School Player of the Year.

Williams, the top player in LSU’s No. 1 ranked signing class, headlines the group of four incoming freshmen for the Tigers. She will be joined by five-star post Aaliyah Del Roasario, who was a semifinalist for the Naismith High School Player of the Year, and four-star guard Angelica Velez, both out of The Webb School in Tennessee. Janae Kent, a four-star guard out of Oak Forrest, Illinois rounds out the nation’s top class.

Williams is considered by many to be the top player in this year’s incoming class. Elite on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court, she has the hardware to show for it. Williams won two gold medals with Team USA over the summer, claiming the FIBA U18 Championship and the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup. The guard out of Bossier City, Louisiana was named USA Basketball’s 3x3 Athlete of the Year in December.

Williams is the reigning Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging 22.8 point, 8.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.2 steals, leading Parkway High School to a 34-3 record and a state championship appearance. With all-around elite talent, Williams is a natural scorer and lockdown defender whose effort and skill on both sides of the ball separate her from all the other players in the class. As a junior, Williams was a finalist for the 2022 Naismith High School Girls Basketball Player of the Year Award and she was a Junior All-America First Team selection by MaxPreps.

“Mikaylah is an incredibly special student-athlete,” Coach Mulkey. “Being from North Louisiana, Mikaylah chose to stay home and compete for championships as a Tiger. Her immense talent, combined with her unmatched work ethic sets her apart – making her the top player in the country. LSU fans you are in for a treat.”

“In order to take my game to the next level and to continue to learn and grow as a young woman, there’s only one place where I’ve wanted to be. Home,” Williams said when she announced her commitment to LSU.