LSU Country

LSU Women's Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker: Looking Into Kim Mulkey's Roster

Mulkey and the Tigers continue roster reconstruction in Baton Rouge, working through critical offseason.
Zack Nagy|
Mar 8, 2025; Greenville, SC, USA; LSU Lady Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey points during the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Mar 8, 2025; Greenville, SC, USA; LSU Lady Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey points during the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

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LSU Tigers

Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers continue navigating a pivotal offseason in Baton Rouge with the program retooling the roster for the 2025-26 season.

LSU has seen five members of last season's roster elect to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal while Mulkey and Co. have also reeled in a pair of signees to this point.

There remains work to be done on the recruiting trail with the Tigers, but it's been a critical stretch for the program to this point.

Who's in for Mulkey heading into next season? Who's out?

A look into the NCAA Transfer Portal moves as it stands for the LSU Tigers.

The LSU Transfer Portal Update:

The Departures [5]:

The First Entry: Sa'Myah Smith [Forward]

LSU redshirt-sophomore Sa'Myah Smith entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on March 31 after three seasons in Baton Rouge.

After suffering a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus in her knee early in the 2023-24 season, Smith bounced back for the Kim Mulkey's program late in the Tigers' recent season.

She posted averages of 6.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game this year, but her production skyrocketed in the tournament after posting double-doubles in both the Round of 32 and Sweet 16.

Smith joined the LSU Tigers during Mulkey's second season at the helm of the program where she earned limited minutes during LSU's 2023 National Championship run.

Now, after three seasons in Baton Rouge, Smith is headed to join the Virginia Cavaliers, she announced via social media on Sunday.

The Second Entry: Last-Tear Poa [Guard]

LSU guard Last-Tear Poa entered the NCAA Transfer Portal earlier this month after three seasons in Baton Rouge.

Poa, a member of Kim Mulkey's 2023 National Championship squad, has played a pivotal role for the Tigers across her trio of seasons in the Bayou State.

During the 2024-25 season, Poa appeared in 30 games and made 15 starts for LSU.

She averaged 2.0 points and 1.9 assists across 12.8 minutes a night while playing a role in the Tigers' run to the Elite Eight.

Poa joined LSU ahead of the 2022-23 season after transferring in from Northwest Florida State as a JUCO prospect.

She will look to exercise an extra year of eligibility due to the new JUCO ruling the NCAA passed recently.

The Third Entry: Aalyah Del Rosario [Forward]

The former five-star prospect in the 2023 Recruiting Cycle showed flashes during her freshman campaign with the Tigers, but was unable to take that next step in her second year.

The 6-foot-6 frontcourt piece averaged 4.7 points per game with 3.5 rebounds during the 2023-24 season.

Fast forward to this past year and Del Rosario averaged 2,0 points and 2.0 rebounds a night on 41.7 percent shooting in six minutes per game.

The Fourth Departure: Jersey Wolfenbarger [Forward]

Wolfenbarger entered the NCAA Transfer Portal earlier this month after spending one season with the purple and gold.

The 6-foot-5 forward recently wrapped up her first season in Baton Rouge as a rotational piece for Mulkey and the Tigers after transferring in from Arkansas.

In her first year with the program, Wolfenbarger served primarily as a backup center for LSU with averages of 4.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game with 24 blocks in total on the season.

She played 13.2 minutes per game with nine starts after handling minutes behind both Aneesah Morrow and Sa'Myah Smith.

The Fifth Departure: Amani Bartlett [Forward]

Bartlett will enter the NCAA Transfer Portal after four seasons in Baton Rouge, On3 Sports' Talia Goodman reported on Wednesday.

Bartlett, a reserve piece for Kim Mulkey and the Tigers during her time with the program, suited up in 17 games last season as a senior.

A member of Mulkey's first roster in the Bayou State, Bartlett became the first player to play four years under her at LSU.

Out of high school, Bartlett was labeled as the No. 3 player out of Texas by Premier Basketball and had a 93-scout grade from ESPN HoopGurlz as well.

The Additions [2]:

Kate Koval: Notre Dame [Forward]

The 6-foot-5 forward has officially signed with the LSU Tigers and is Baton Rouge bound after one season with Notre Dame.

“Having recruited Kate out of High School, we are very aligned in our vision for her personal development and the impact she can have on our program,” Coach Kim Mulkey said.

“Tiger fans will love the skill, physicality and passion that Kate will bring with her to Baton Rouge!”

Koval had a successful ACC All-Freshman season at Notre Dame, playing a key role in the Irish reaching the Sweet 16. She averaged 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.

Koval led Notre Dame with 55 blocks throughout the season; she recorded six games with 4+ blocks.

Koval was the USBWA National Freshman of the Week on November 18 after a quick start to her college career. Through the first three games of her career, Koval had 40 points, 33 rebounds, 8 assists and 15 blocks.

According to OptaSTATS, the last D1 freshman (male or female) to reach those numbers in any three-game span is Kentucky’s Anthony Davis.

After recording her first double-double in her third game with 14 points and 16 rebounds against James Madison, Koval went for 11 points and 19 rebounds against Lafayette.

Amiya Joyner: East Carolina [Forward]

The 6-foot-2 forward has put pen to paper with the LSU Tigers after signing with the program this week.

“I’m excited to welcome Amiya to Baton Rouge after an outstanding three-year career at ECU,” Coach Kim Mulkey said. “She has a versatile interior game that will stretch defenses with her ability to play with her back to the basket as well as facing up. Her knack for rebounding will undoubtably be a welcomed addition to our frontcourt.

“We can’t wait for her to get to work in the PMAC to showcase her talent in front of the best fans in the country while pursuing championships!”

In three seasons at East Carolina, the 6-2 Joyner averaged 12.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game as a First Team All-AAC. She comes to LSU with 41 career double-doubles.

She owns three of the top five rebounding seasons in ECU history and her 905 career rebounds are the fourth most in program history. Joyner is one of two players in ECU history with multiple 20-rebound games.

She also ranks No. 4 in program history with 132 blocks.

Joyner led ECU last season as a junior with 15.0 points and 9.2 rebounds per game with 34 blocks, 52 assists and 36 steals as a First Team All-AAC player.

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Zack Nagy
ZACK NAGY

Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of LSU Country, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Tiger Football, Basketball, Baseball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving LSU athletics. 

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