You could argue the best player in the transfer portal this spring was Aneesah Morrow: a double-double machine who developed as a presence in the paint and became one of the most prolific scorers in the country while at DePaul. Or you could argue the best was Hailey Van Lith: a crafty, creative guard out of Louisville.
LSU didn’t see the point in arguing either way. Kim Mulkey & Co. simply landed them both.
A week after announcing Van Lith was coming to Baton Rouge, the Tigers announced she would be joined by Morrow, a true all-around talent. The move takes a squad that already looked like a superteam and makes it that much better. It’s a huge boon for the reigning champs. And it should be terrifying for everyone set to play against them.
Morrow had previously announced her top potential destinations as South Carolina, LSU and Southern California—all marquee programs befitting a player of her skill. The Chicago native initially chose to play at DePaul because she wanted to stay close to her family. After two years, however, she was ready to explore options further afield. (As if to underscore the range of new opportunities that await, Morrow made her initial announcement in an Instagram post sponsored by an AI company.) That meant joining a roster where she could win a national championship. At LSU, with two years of eligibility remaining for Morrow, that now looks about as likely as it possibly could anywhere.
The Tigers have retained several of their most important core pieces after winning the first title in program history in April. That includes star Angel Reese and guards Flau’jae Johnson and Kateri Poole. While they lost a key playmaker in Alexis Morris—who was drafted by the Sun—they got a replacement in Van Lith. And by adding Morrow, they’ve now gone to a whole new level. Her addition isn’t simply plugging a hole in the roster. It’s elevating the entire group by creating new possibilities.
That’s feasible in large part because of the depth here. Morrow is one of the only players able to really challenge Reese’s status as the Queen of Double Doubles. (Morrow has recorded the statistical achievement in 53 of her 66 career games.) Another way to put it? There were only four players who scored more per game last year than Reese. One of them was Morrow. And she was the only one to join Reese in being top 10 in Division I in rebounding, too. To have one player like that on a roster is game-changing. To have two? LSU will enjoy a whole slew of options.
Morrow’s skill set is so impressive that it’s almost difficult to break down. She can do just about everything: She was in the 97th percentile or above last year in points (25.7 per game), offensive boards (3.5), defensive boards (8.7), steals (2.6), blocks (1.3) and minutes played (35.1). And those impressive numbers somehow almost underplay her versatility. For instance, you might expect a player with her rebounding skills to be parked in the paint. But the 6'1" forward moves all around the floor: She took 6.3 threes per game last season. (Though it’s worth noting that she made just 25%—it’s the rare area of her game that stands out as a spot for marked development.) At DePaul, she had one of the highest usage rates in the country, with both offense and defense flowing through her. At LSU, she’ll be able to thrive in situations more targeted to her talents, while still having the adaptability to slot in wherever needed.
Even in an era of unprecedented player movement, LSU has stood out for its ability to seamlessly integrate new players into its roster. Mulkey has been on campus for just three years—after two decades and three national championships at Baylor—and has completely remade the program in that short time. Last season, she led a roster with nine players new to the team, freshmen and transfers alike, and took them to a title. Now, Mulkey will work in Morrow and Van Lith and hope for the same results.
Still, it’s worth noting just how stacked the rest of the field is. While South Carolina lost five players to the WNBA, there were plenty of underclassmen talents in the pipeline, along with the addition of a marquee transfer in Te-Hina Paopao and the junior college player of the year in Sakima Walker. Iowa can’t be counted out as long as Caitlin Clark is on the floor. UConn will ideally get a full year of good health at last for both Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd. And other top programs, such as Ohio State and UCLA, have made notable upgrades in the transfer portal, too. But the favorites? That already looked like LSU. It’s only clearer by adding Morrow.
