The LSU Tigers have stumbled right out of the gate in SEC play, dropping tough losses to Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Turnovers killed them against Vandy, with 22 compared to the Commodores' 12, but what happened to Flau'jae Johnson may be a bigger problem.

Johnson went scoreless in 19 minutes, grabbing just three rebounds and an assist before tweaking her ankle late in the first half. Coach Kim Mulkey initially downplayed it after the game, saying, "Would love to make an excuse for Flau’jae. I don’t know the extent of the ankle, but yes, she came out, and did they retape it or something like that?"

Mulkey gave a more serious update recently, noting, “Flau’jae Johnson has a swollen ankle... LSU expects her to try to play through it at Georgia on Thursday, but it’s preparing as if she won’t be able to suit up. Something to monitor.”

Well, she's no stranger to these nagging issues. Last season, shin inflammation sidelined her for key stretches. Later, including the entire SEC tournament, forcing her to watch from the sidelines as LSU went out early.

Also, earlier this year, in November against Tulane, she limped off in the 3rd quarter but returned. And even back in 2023, she had a scoreless exit against South Carolina amid early injury whispers.

No other major Tigers injuries popped up from the Vanderbilt box score, but LSU's been banged up up front all season with thin depth, putting extra pressure on the guards.

LSU Guards Gear Up vs. Georgia

After Flau'jae Johnson's recent injury update, LSU heads to Georgia on Jan. 8th to snap a brutal 0-2 SEC start. The Tigers plummeted in Tuesday's Coaches Poll, their lowest under Kim Mulkey, sitting as the SEC's sixth-ranked team behind the two that just beat them. At 14-2 overall, they're desperate to rebound against 15-1 Georgia Thursday night.

LSU's guards must step up big without a fully healthy Flau'jae. MiLaysia Fulwiley needs to boost her shaky 29.4% from three and use her 3.6 steals to disrupt. Mikaylah Williams, shooting a crisp 54.4% overall, has to attack the rim harder. Kate Koval's 58.3% efficiency demands more volume, while Amiya Joyner grabs boards to fuel transition.

The teams present a stark statistical contrast. Georgia shoots 47.3% from the field, well above the 32.5% LSU typically allows its opponents. Meanwhile, the Tigers excel on the boards, ranking No. 2 nationally in rebounding compared to Georgia at 67th.

So if guards contribute post-Johnson's injury, LSU could flip the script and climb back up.

Written by

Ishika Ghosh

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi