LSU Women’s Basketball Signees

Get to know the five newest members of the LSU Women’s basketball team

Introduction

The LSU women’s Basketball team has added four player to its 2020 class with the signing of Kristian Fulton,
Charles Manning, Ayana Mitchell and
Machelle Joseph.

Signing Day

It’s that time of year again – signing day! Today is the first day that High School seniors can sign their National Letter of Intent to play college sports.

The LSU Women’s basketball team has signed three players to help the team make a run at the NCAA tournament

Sophie Bursett is a 6-foot-4 center from Melbourne, Australia. Bursett is a physical post presence who can score with both her back to the basket and facing up. She is also a good rebounder and shot blocker.

Mikayla Coombs is a 5-foot-9 guard from Alpharetta, Georgia. Coombs is an excellent shooter and has a High Basketball IQ. She will provide outside shooting and leadership for the Tigers.

Arielle Brown is a 6-foot-3 forward from Baton Rouge Louisiana. Brown is an athletic wing who can score in multiple ways. She can shoot from the outside, put the ball on the floor, and finish at the rim.

The Prospects

The LSU women’s Basketball team has signed five players to National Letters of Intent, Head Coach Nikki Caldwell announced Wednesday.

The class is ranked No. 10 in the nation by ESPN HoopGurlz and features two top-100 prospects in forward Ayana Mitchell and guard Khayla Pointer.

“We are excited about the depth and talent that this class brings to our program,” Caldwell said in a press release. “We feel that we have addressed some needs with this group, and we are thrilled to have them join the LSU family.”

Here is a closer look at the five signees:

Ayana Mitchell (6-2, F, Sugar Land, Texas): A five-star recruit according to ESPN Hoopgurlz Mitchell is ranked as the No. 41 player in the nation and the No. 8 forward. She was named a McDonald’s All-American Game nominee and was selected to participate in the Jordan Brand Classic game. As a senior at Travis high school she averaged 19 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks per game. Mitchell was also a member of the USA Basketball U18 national team that won a gold medal at the FIBA Americas Championship in Chile last summer.

Khayla Pointer (5-8, G, Chicago): Pointer is ranked as the No. 95 player in the nation by ESPN HoopGurlz and the No. 25 guard. A versatile player who can play multiple positions she helped lead Young to back-to-back state titles while averaging 14 points, six assists and four steals per game as a senior. Pointer was named first team all-state as a junior and senior and was also named Chicago Public League Player of the Year as a senior. She played AAU Basketball for Mac Irvin Fire, one of the premier programs in the country.

Tyree’onna Douglas (6-0, F, Baton Rouge): A local product from Scotlandville Magnet high school Douglas is a three-star recruit according to ESPN HoopGurlz who is ranked as the No. 120 forward in the nation. She averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds per game as a senior while leading Scotlandville to a 26-5 record and a berth in the Class 5A state semifinals. Douglas was named first team all-district and second team all-state as a senior after being named honorable mention all-state as a junior. She played AAU for Louisiana Elite club team based out of Baton Rouge .
Rorie Nicolaisen (6-3, C, Anchorage, Alaska): Ranked as one of Alaska’s Top 10 prospects by Playmaker College Basketball Recruiting Services, Nicolaisen comes to LSU from East Anchorage high school where she averaged 16 points per game as a senior while leading her team to an 18-7 record.. Nicolaisen was named first team all-conference after being named second team all conference as junior.. She also played volleyball for East Anchorage HS where she led her team in blocks as junior..

Asia Durr (5-10 G Louisville Kentucky): Considered one of Kentucky’s top prospects by multiple recruiting services including Playmaker college basketball Recruiting Service which ranks her second in state.. Durr averaged 24 points six rebounds three assists and three steals per game while leading St Pius X high school 28 5 record state semifinal appearance.. As junior she averaged 18 points five rebounds two assists shooting 38 percent from three point range en route being named first team all state

The Class

The LSU women’s basketball team has signed five players to National Letters of Intent during the early Signing Period as announced Wednesday by head coach Nikki Fargas

“We are very excited about this signing class,” said Fargas. “It is a group that will impact our program both on and off the court. They each bring a unique skill set that will help us continue to build upon the success we have had recently. We can’t wait to get them on campus.”

The class is comprised of four guards and one forward, all from Louisiana:

Mikayla Allen (Kenner, La./Bonnabel HS) is a 5-8 guard who averaged 11 points, four rebounds and two steals per game last season as a junior. She has been named to the All-District 6-5A team in each of her first three seasons and was an honorable mention All-Metro selection as a sophomore. Allen was also a three-time All-Region selection in track & field.

Maliya Mitchell (New Orleans, La./Warren Easton Charter HS) is a 5-7 guard who averaged 17 points, four rebounds and 5.5 assists per game last season as a junior. She was named first team All-District 9-4A and was an honorable mention All-Metro selection. Mitchell is a three-time all-district honoree and was an all-state honorable mention as both a sophomore and junior.

The Future

The LSU women’s basketball team has signed two top recruits for the 2020-2021 Season

Five-star point guard Jaden Owens from Duncanville, Texas, and four-star center Kiya Edwards from St. Louis, Missouri, have both committed to play for the Tigers next season.

Owens is ranked as the No. 2 point guard in the country by ESPN and is a McDonald’s All-American. She was also named a finalist for the Naismith Trophy, which is awarded to the nation’s top player

Edwards is ranked as the No. 18 center in the country by ESPN and was a first-team all-state selection in Missouri last season.

What They’re Saying

The LSU women’s basketball team has signed four players in the early signing period.

ESPNW analyst Paola Boivin praised the class, calling it “as good as any in the country.”

“This is a loaded class, maybe the best in the country,” Boivin said. “The Tigers got a high-scoring guard in KhaleannCaron-Goudreau, a versatile forward in Faustine Aifuwa, a big post player in Awak Kuier and another perimeter threat in Mencia. All four should make an immediate impact.”

Quotes

“We are absolutely thrilled to add these five young women to our LSU Family,” said Head Coach Nikki Fargas. “They are tremendous athletes and even better people. They come from winning programs and families that understand what it takes to be successful in life. We can’t wait to get them on campus and start working towards our goal of winning an SEC Championship.”

Highlights

The LSU women’s basketball team has signed five players to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period, head coach Nikki Fargas announced Wednesday.

Rising seniors Aaliyah Moore and Chennedy Carter from Texas, Khayla Pointer from Illinois, Awa Trasi from Hawaii and Faustine Aifuwa from France make up the Lady Tigers’ 2019 signing class.

“We’re excited to add these five young ladies to our program,” Fargas said. “They come from good families, they work hard and they’re going to be great additions to our team both on and off the court.”

A 6-foot guard from Duncanville, Texas, Moore is a four-star recruit according to ESPN HoopGurlz. She averaged 17.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game as a junior while leading Duncanville high school to a 32-6 overall record and a trip to the Class 6A state semifinals.

“Aaliyah is a very versatile guard,” Fargas said. “She can play multiple positions on the floor and she does a little bit of everything well. We’re looking forward to her coming in and making an immediate impact.”

Carter, a 5-7 guard from Mansfield View High School in Arlington, Texas, is ranked as the No. 12 player in the nation by ESPN HoopGurlz. She averaged 19.6 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals per game last season while shooting 46 percent from the field and 86 percent from the Free Throw Line

Social Media

The LSU women’s Basketball team has announced its incoming class of student-athletes for the 2019-20 season

The class is made up of six players, including four from the state of Louisiana.

“We are very excited about this incoming class,” said LSU Head coach Nikki Fargas. “We believe that these young ladies will make an immediate impact on our program both on and off the court.”

The class includes two five-star recruits, according to ESPN: point guard Khayla Pointer (Loranger, Louisiana) and shooting guard Eli Christman (St. Louis, Missouri).

“Khayla is one of the most dynamic point guards in the country,” said Fargas. “She has the ability to score, create for her teammates and play defense at a high level. Eli is a pure shooter with a tremendous work ethic. She provides us with another scoring option on the perimeter.”

The other members of the class are: Power Forward Ayana Mitchell (New Orleans, Louisiana), shooting guard Paige Pemberton (Houston, Texas), small forward Sydni Epps (Marrero, Louisiana) and center Kourtney Weber (Wandile, South Africa).

Signing Day Wrap-Up

The LSU Tigers women’s Basketball Team welcomed five new faces to the program on Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA’s early signing period.

Head coach Nikki Fargas and her staff signed two guards, two forwards and one center to National Letters of Intent.

“We are excited to add these five young ladies to our LSU family,” Fargas said. “They are outstanding basketball players but more importantly they are outstanding people.”

Here is a closer look at each of the Tigers’ signees:

Ja’Miya Mingo
Mingo is a 6-foot guard from Baton Rouge Louisiana. She attends University high school where she is a three-time All-District selection. As a junior last season, she averaged 12 points, six rebounds and four assists per game

“Ja’Miya is an extremely athletic guard that can score in a variety of ways,” Fargas said. “She has a High Basketball IQ and will be able to come in and make an immediate impact on both ends of the court.”

Mingo chose LSU over Auburn and Maryland among others. She is ranked as a three-star recruit by ESPN HoopGurlz.

Shelby Mangum
Mangum is a 6-foot-1 forward from Katy, Texas. She attends Cinco Ranch High School where she helped lead her team to back-to-back appearances in the Texas State tournament. As a junior last season, she averaged 16 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field. Mangum is ranked as a three-star recruit by ESPN HoopGurlz.