In a recent announcement by coach Kim Mulkey, it has been disclosed that Kateri Poole is no longer a member of the LSU women’s basketball team. The 5-foot-8 junior guard made limited appearances this season for the No. 7 Tigers, playing in only four games. Her absence was noticeable when she did not participate in the game against Kent State on Nov. 14, followed by a brief five-minute appearance in the next game against Southeastern Louisiana. She was last seen on the bench during LSU’s game against Texas Southern, although she did not take the floor on that day.
During a press conference after the Tigers’ 83-53 victory over Louisiana, Mulkey confirmed the news, stating, “She’s no longer with us.” However, the coach declined to provide further details on whether Poole’s departure was a result of dismissal or a mutual parting of ways. The team faced another setback with the absence of star forward Angel Reese, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 women’s NCAA tournament, who missed four games in November due to undisclosed reasons before making a return on Nov. 30 against Virginia Tech. Mulkey mentioned that the team had been dealing with “locker room issues.”
Poole, who had previously started for the Tigers during their national championship win last season, began her college career at Ohio State before joining LSU. In her first season in Baton Rouge, she averaged 4.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in 22.4 minutes of play. However, her performance declined this season, contributing an average of 2.0 points and 1.5 assists in the four games she played.
Regrettably, LSU has suffered another setback as Sa’Myah Smith will miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury sustained a few weeks ago in the Cayman Islands.
It remains to be seen how LSU will adjust to the absence of Poole and Smith as they continue their season. The team will undoubtedly have to realign their strategies and make necessary adjustments in the upcoming games. The sudden departure of Poole, alongside other challenges faced by the team, poses new obstacles that LSU will have to overcome in their pursuit of success this season.