LSU WBB: Kim Mulkey Reveals Forward Sa'Myah Smith's Status After Injury

LSU forward Sa'Myah Smith is out for the remainder of the 2023-24 season after tearing her ACL, MCL and meniscus in the Cayman Islands last week, Kim Mulkey confirmed on Wednesday.

The non-contact injury was suffered in the first game of the Cayman Island Classic against Niagara with Smith going down on a fast break.

It's a tough blow for the Tigers with the front court depth remaining a concern. Smith, who remained in Baton Rouge during the offseason in order to work on her game, took significant strides in the right direction through LSU's first seven games.

The sophomore forward was averaging 11.7 points and 7.6 rebounds, while shooting a team-high 66 percent from the field in seven games.

. @LSUwbkb sophomore forward Sa’Myah Smith is lost for the year with a knee injury, says @KimMulkey. #LSU
— Jacques Doucet (@JacquesDoucet) November 29, 2023

Year 1 in Baton Rouge:

“Earned a spot on the SEC All-Freshman team, playing in all 36 games for the Tigers as LSU’s first forward off the bench … Started two games during her freshman season … Averaged 4.6 points and 4.0 rebounds during the year … Showed the potential to become an elite defender in the paint with 38 blocks throughout the season … Recorded her lone double-double of her freshman season in her college debut against Bellarmine with 12 points and 11 rebounds … Played productive minutes in the National Championship against Iowa with starters in foul trouble … Along with scoring two points and grabbing two rebounds in the championship, Smith’s lone block swung the momentum in LSU’s direction and led to a fast-break bucket.”

The Return of Angel Reese: Virginia Tech on Nov. 30

The Tigers will get back All-American forward Angel Reese on Thursday in a Final Four rematch against Virginia Tech. With Smith now out of the picture, the return of Reese is key for the Tigers' front court depth.

Reese was not with the program on their Thanksgiving tournament trip to the Cayman Islands after a pair of matchups against Niagara and Virginia on Saturday.

More on Reese:

“You always have to deal with locker-room issues,” Mulkey said. “Sometimes you all know about them. Sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you want to know more than you’re entitled to know. I’m going to protect my players — always. They are like a family.”

Now, after being away from the program for four contests, Mulkey "cleared the air" surrounding her star big. She's back with the Tigers.

The Tigers lose a key piece in Smith after blowing out her knee and will now fall back on freshman Aalyah Del Rosario to carry a significant load throughout the rest of the season.