Kim Mulkey makes her feelings known on LSU's transfer portal departures: "Don't have animosity"

LSU coach Kim Mulkey addressed the team's transfer portal departures after the NCAA Tournament. Six players — Amani Bartlett, Last-Tear Poa, Aalyah del Rosario, Jersey Wolfenbarger, Mjracle Sheppard and Sa'Myah Smith — decided to venture into the portal to find new teams that would give them more playing time and possibly NIL money.

Of the five players, Smith (Virginia), Poa (Arizona State) and Del Rosario (Vanderbilt) have committed to their new destinations. This left Wolfenbarger, Sheppard and Bartlett waiting for a team that would acquire them during the offseason.

In an interview with WAFB-TV, the four-time national champion coach made it clear she had no animosity toward them and wished them well in their future endeavors.

"I don't have animosity," Mulkey said. "I don't have anger toward any of these players. What I want for them is happiness."

The veteran mentor stated reasons may vary for each player who decided to place their names in the portal. Mulkey pointed out that she isn't even surprised about some All-Americans testing their marketability through this compliance tool.

"Now do I believe, in my heart of hearts, that you're going to be any more happier somewhere else, maybe if you get more playing time?," Mulkey asked. "But as you see, not just at LSU, but across the country, starters are transferring. All Americans are transferring."

"So the reasons young people transfer and get in the portal now can be anywhere from money to playing time to 'I just graduated, I need a change,'" she added.

Kim Mulkey's LSU had its March Madness run stopped at the Elite Eight for the second straight year after winning the national title in 2023. This season, UCLA beat the Lady Tigers 72-65 to come up short of a Final Four ticket.

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LSU still has plenty of work to do during the offseason

The transfer portal has left four LSU players staying for next season and three of them were key contributors in the team's run to the Elite Eight. Returning for the Lady Tigers are Flau'Jae Johnson, Mikaylah Williams, Kailyn Gilbert and Jada Richard.

Johnson was LSU's top scorer in most of the 2024-25 season until an injury slowed her down in the final stretches. The rapper-cum-basketball player averaged 18.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

Williams was the team's No. 3 producer, tallying 17.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.4 apg and 1.1 spg, while Gilbert was the top bench contributor at 9.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 1.6 apg.

Richard started once in her 33-game stint as an LSU freshman and posted 2.8 ppg. She's expected to play a bigger role for the team in her second season.

As of press time, Notre Dame transfer Kate Koval and East Carolina's Amiya Joyner have transferred to LSU after excellent seasons with their previous teams.

They'll be joined in by three five-star recruits Grace Knox, ZaKiyah Johnson, Divine Bourrage and four-star guard Isabella Hines.

The team still has vacant spots for scholarship players, and it remains in the hunt for superstars in the portal.