SEC/ACC Challenge: LSU WBB To Host Stanford in Highly Anticipated Showdown

Kim Mulkey and the Tigers will bring Stanford to town in a key non-conference battle this upcoming season.

LSU coach Kim Mulkey watches as the defending national champion Tigers hold on for a win against Rice. / Scott Clause/USA Today / USA TODAY

LSU will host Stanford in the PMAC on Thursday, December 5 for the 2024 SEC/ACC Challenge, announced Wednesday on the SEC Network.

This is the second year of the SEC/ACC Challenge. LSU hosted Virginia Tech last season as Coach Kim Mulkey earned her 700th career victory, becoming the fasted coach in college basketball history to reach that milestone. The TV announcement and game time will be released on a later date.

LSU returns 2024 SEC Freshman of Year Mikaylah Williams, 2024 First Team All-SEC Aneesah Morrow, 2024 Second Team All-SEC Flau’Jae Johnson, 2024 SEC All-Freshman Aalyah Del Rosario, 2023 SEC All-Freshman Sa’Myah Smith, Last-Tear Poa, Amani Bartlett and Izzy Besselman. Smith will be back on the floor after missing the majority of the 2023-24 season with a knee injury. Johnson, Smith and Poa were all key pieces on LSU’s 2023 National Championship roster.

The Tigers hit the transfer portal to add forward Jersey Wolfenbarger and guards Shayeann Day-Wilson, Kailyn Gilbert and Mjracle Sheppard. LSU’s lone freshman will be Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year Jada Richard from Lafayette Christian Academy.

Stanford will be led by first-year head coach Kate Paye as the Cardinal enters its first season in the ACC after Tara VanDerveer retired following last season. Paye, who has been at Stanford for 17 years as an assistant then associate head coach, played on Stanford’s 1992 team that won the national championship and was the associate head coach on Stanford’s 2021 national championship team.

With Paye as the head coach and Cameron Brink off to the WNBA, it will be a different look for Stanford this year. Stanford also lost Kiki Iriafen to the transfer portal. The Cardinal have three freshmen and two transfers, including 2024 Big Ten Media Freshman of the Year Mary Ashey Stevenson from Purdue, to go with a group of nine returners. Of those returners, Talana Lepolo was selected All-Pac-12 honorable mention last season, while Nunu Agara and Courtney Ogden received Pac-12 All-Freshman honorable mention accolades.

2024 SEC/ACC Challenge Schedule:

Wednesday, December 4

Florida State at Tennessee

Mississippi State at Georgia Tech

Oklahoma at Louisville

Vanderbilt at Miami

Syracuse at Texas A&M

Virginia Tech at Georgia

 

Thursday, December 5

Boston College at Arkansas

Alabama at Cal

Florida at Clemson

Duke at South Carolina

Kentucky at North Carolina

Ole Miss at NC State

Texas at Notre Dame

SMU at Missouri

Stanford at LSU

Auburn at Virginia

Other LSU News:

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LSU Basketball: No. 1 Player in NCAA Transfer Portal Set To Visit LSU

Ex-LSU Player Josh Maravich, Son of LSU Legend Pete Maravich, Passes Away At Age 42

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