LSU guard Kateri Poole is no longer a member of the program, Tigers coach Kim Mulkey announced Sunday. She has not played for the Tigers since Nov. 17.
“She’s no longer with us,” Mulkey said.
The Tigers entered this season as the reigning national champions and the No. 1 preseason team in the AP Top 25 poll. However, there has been trouble in paradise from the beginning. LSU lost its season opener against Colorado, then some locker room issues appeared to have disrupted the roster.
Last year’s leading scorer and rebounder, Angel Reese, missed four games earlier this season without much explanation. Two of those games came during the Cayman Islands Classic in late November, a trip neither Reese nor Poole made with the team. Reese recently made her return against Virginia Tech, but Poole never came back.
Poole was a starter during the 2023 Women’s NCAA Tournament, when the Tigers earned their first ever national title. The Ohio State transfer was a key defensive piece for LSU, but her role did not increase this year. She only averaged about 12 minutes a game over four appearances this season. Poole’s last game was on Nov. 17 against Southeastern Louisiana, and she was only on the court for five minutes.
LSU is 9-1 this season after Sunday’s 83-53 win over Louisiana, a game point guard Hailey Van Lith missed because of an injury. Mulkey said it’s unclear when Van Lith, who’s dealing with plantar fasciitis, will make her return at this point.