Kim Mulkey raves about LSU's 2025 signing class
LSU signed an elite class last week, getting four of the top 25 players in the 2025 class to finalize their decisions to commit to Kim Mulkey and the Tigers. Bella Hines, Divine Bourrage, ZaKiyah Johnson, and Grace Knox gives LSU the foundation for the future and lessens the need for Mulkey to raid the transfer portal every offseason.
The Hall of Fame head coach gave quick breakdowns of her new additions and what she sees in their games after LSU’s win on Monday against Troy.
“Divine can play the point, can play the off guard,” Mulkey said. “We signed big Z [ZaKiyah] from Kentucky, a big guard who can post you up and rebound. Then you add Grace to the mix and she’s more of a Morrow type as a hard-nosed player. It’s hard to keep her off the boards. Then you add Bella who can shoot the three ball and comes from a winning program over the summer. They won just about everything with Cy Fair. We’re excited about those guys. Three out of four came on an official visit together and we got all three of them.”
Bourrage, Knox, and Johnson all took their official visits together on Sept. 7 and were able to experience LSU at full force with a football game and the women’s basketball team on hand.
Hines has been committed for the longest time, announcing her decision in April, and has seen these recruitments unfold as LSU remains one of the top programs in the country with this class.
“Being able to have the No. 1 recruiting class is great,” Hines told the Bengal Tigers after signing. “I love knowing I’m going to have great players coming in with me. I’ve talked to Grace Knox a lot and tried to get her here, so I’m glad we got her as well. It’s such a strong recruiting class and once we all get there it’s going to be a movie.”
Mulkey checked a lot of key boxes with these four signees, as she talked about. The guard versatility and playmaking of Johnson and Bourrage is especially unique, while Hines is an excellent off-ball shooter and scorer. Then you have Knox who is a versatile forward who can play on the perimeter and in the paint comfortably.
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There’s only one position Mulkey did not sign in this class and it’s the hardest position to find nowadays.
“We signed a great, talented group that play every position but a back to the basket five player,” Mulkey said. “Those are hard to come by. If you want to criticize a back to the basket five player, go find me one to recruit, they don’t make them like that very often.”
Now, the attention moves onto the 2026 class for LSU where they have a few early prospects on the board. LSU hosted the No. 5 and No. 30 players in the class with Olivia Vukosa and Chamiah Francis on unofficial visits in early November and also went to see the No. 4 player in the class, Oliviyah Edwards in person this month.
“We’re always recruiting. We never stop recruiting,” Mulkey said. “Sadly, the recruiting now is, you have to wait until the end of the season to see who stays, who goes, and who’s in the portal and that was never like that until here recently.”
