The 6th-ranked LSU women’s basketball team looks for its sixth straight win Thursday night against a bad Arkansas squad that is winless in the SEC.
After a slow start to begin league play, LSU has played like one of the best teams in the country. The winning streak includes impressive victories against Texas and Oklahoma.
And during this win streak, Richard, who won four state championships at Lafayette Christian, has developed into one of the country’s top point guards.
In SEC play, Richard is second on the team in scoring, averaging 13 points, four rebounds, and two assists a game. Richard is shooting 45% from the field, 7-19 from 3-point territory, and she’s a perfect 24-24 from the free throw line.
It’s the type of consistent point guard play that former point guard and LSU head coach Kim Mulkey has been looking for since the Lady Tigers' national championship season.
“It’s not any magical thing I’ve done, other than maybe toughen her up, change a few mannerisms, make her understand you won four state championships and you had to be the scorer, you don’t have to be the scorer here, but you can be, it wasn’t like she didn’t have those skills last year, it was just adjusting to this level of college,” Mulkey said.
Richard was only averaging seven points per game heading into conference play, but she’s been a more aggressive scorer against SEC opponents.
“Your job is to be the quarterback and the coach on that floor, you have to know every position on that floor, who can catch this pass, who can catch that pass, screaming out what we are doing offensively and defensively, make the first pass to get into our offense, but if the opportunity arises you shoot it,” Mulkey said.
Ricard’s emergence gives LSU a great group of guards that also includes Flau’jae Johnson, Mikaylah Williams, and MiLaysia Fulwiley, who leads LSU in scoring despite coming off the bench.
If LSU’s post players contribute with strong play, the Lady Tigers are a very tough team to beat.