Tigers Freshman guard Mikaylah Williams scored a career high 42 points as No. 7 LSU cruises to a 109-79 victory over Kent State. 42 points is the most by any freshman in the NCAA college basketball era.
Mikaylah Williams makes history
LSU freshman Mikaylah Williams is embracing her entrance into the college basketball scene especially with the support of head coach Kim Mulkey. She put on an eyebrow raising performance that has sent the college basketball world into a frenzy on Tuesday afternoon.
1️⃣2️⃣🏝 is just scratching the surface of her potential
— LSU Women's Basketball (@LSUwbkb) November 15, 2023
42 points in her fourth collegiate game for @mkwill12_ pic.twitter.com/oGlpSfApZE
Williams put the entire nation on notice after a 42 point domination over Kent State in front of a crowd of over 9,000 fans. The No. 1 recruit from Louisiana, Williams showcased her talents for everyone to see on Tuesday. The 6-foot-1 guard finished with 3 steals, 3 assists, and 7 rebounds on 15-20 (75 percent) field goal shooting, 5-8 (62.5) percent beyond the arc. She's just the 11th player to score 40 plus points in LSU history. The last player to score at least 42 points in a single game was Cornelia Gayden in 1995 (49 points).
The LSU Tigers, led by Mulkey, move to 3-1 on the season, after dropping a disappointing season opener against Colorado. The reigning 2022-2023 National Champions remain one of the favorites to win it all again this year, especially with Angel Reese and the addition of Hailey Van Lith. Four games into the season, Williams leads the tigers in scoring with 22 points per game, and an astonishing 63.2 three-point percentage.
👀 42 Points by Mikaylah Williams!
— Ballislife Bets (@BallislifeBets) November 15, 2023
It's the most points scored by a Freshman in WBB history. pic.twitter.com/7VpJFClZae
With the way LSU struggled against Colorado, Williams seems to be the missing key the Tigers desperately need. The person that's going to push her to the best of her abilities? Kim Mulkey.
"She can score anywhere," Mulkey told the press. "I've been riding her because as good as she is, I don't think she knows how good she is. I think a lot of it will come with just making her play extended minutes as hard as she can. You saw today what she's capable of doing. She's a special talent."
Williams is a star in the making
The guard has slowly made her way through headlines, as she's increased her production every game. In the last two matchups against Kent State and Mississippi Valley State, the freshman tallied a combined 52 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. With a strong bodied frame, Williams has an extremely versatile skill set. Not afraid to pull from long range, No. 12 can also drive baseline, and has the capability of fighting through multiple bodies.
No, this is not a one and done. Mikaylah Williams is the real deal. She also plays on a talented roster, who knew exactly where to find her on the court.
"I wouldn't say I wanted the ball every trip, my teammates knew I had a hot hand and they were finding me," said Williams. "I applaud them for finding me, and I was executing on the shots."
Mikaylah Williams just dropped 42. The most points by any @LSUwbkb player in the last 25 seasons 🤯
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 14, 2023
BUCKET 🪣 @mkwill12_ pic.twitter.com/N3IgNCJSsY
LSU had a game high 17 assists, 5 of which came from transfer guard Van Lith. While several of his shots came unassisted, Williams was making tough shots.
Coach Mulkey recruited Williams for a reason
"It's just in me," Williams continued. With that said, Coach Mulkey has an extensive coaching career, and has witness several stellar performances. In her third season with LSU, Mulkey knew exactly what she would be getting from Williams after recruiting her from Parkway High School.
Junior guard Aneesah Morrow knows the meaning of hard work. She finished with 17 points and 9 steals on 7-15 (46.6 percent) free throw shooting.
"It makes me feel good, being able to give Mikaylah a pass and see her score other than shooting it myself," said Morrow. "I get to see the work MK puts in everyday-- it's a non stop thing, she's very consistent, she work's hard everyday. To see that pay off is amazing."
No. 12 is a Lousiana Native
It's not everyday where freshman athletes are comfortable right off the jump, especially in front of her hometown fans at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Louisiana.
"It was fun, I just wanted to show the kids that it's possible," Williams continue. "A little kid from Louisiana, being on this big stage is possible-- to do this and be big."
Admitting she previously had a career high 34 points in high school, Williams is adamant about about the work she puts in practice on a daily basis. An All-American in high school, the guard was named 3x FIBA 3x3 under 18 World Cup MVP, and was chosen as USA Basketball 3x3 Athlete of the year.
"I think it all starts in practice, how you practice is how you play. Coach Mulkey had been riding me and staying on my tail about working hard, effort and everything."
If anything, the future is very exciting for the LSU Tigers and Mikaylah Williams.
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Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter at Ballislife, and Sports Content Creator on Twitch and TikTok. She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.