Key Takeaways
- • LSU women's basketball has lost three guards to the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason, including rising sophomore Bella Hines (5'10"), who averaged 4.2 points per game and shot 44.9% from the field in her freshman season.
- • Hines was a top-35 nationally-ranked recruit (No. 23 overall in 247Sports' 2025 class, No. 5 shooting guard) and the first of five freshmen signed by head coach Kim Mulkey to form what was positioned as the nation's top-ranked 2025 recruiting class.
- • Coach Mulkey had publicly stated that only Divine Bourrage (the first departing guard) would leave the program, but Hines' unexpected exit contradicts that assessment and signals retention challenges despite Mulkey's stated confidence in roster continuity.
- • Hines played in 33 of 35 games, averaging 13.0 minutes per game with increased playing time down the stretch (14 minutes per game in the final nine games), including a viral defensive moment against South Carolina's Tessa Johnson that earned Mulkey's public endorsement for expanded minutes.
- • LSU will pursue guard reinforcements in the transfer portal to address the three departures (Hines, Divine Bourrage, and Kailyn Gilbert) while retaining returning backcourt players MiLaysia Fulwiley, Jada Richard, and Mikaylah Williams.
Summary
LSU women's basketball head coach Kim Mulkey faces unexpected roster attrition following the program's 2025-26 season. Bella Hines, a rising sophomore guard and top-35 national recruit, announced her transfer portal entry on Tuesday, becoming the third guard to depart the program this offseason. Hines joined Divine Bourrage (who left following LSU's NCAA Tournament exit to Duke) and Kailyn Gilbert in entering the portal, significantly altering Mulkey's roster composition heading into the 2026-27 season.
Hines' departure is strategically significant given her pedigree and trajectory. The 5'10" New Mexico native was ranked No. 23 overall in the 2025 recruiting class by 247Sports and No. 5 at her shooting guard position. She was the first of five freshmen to commit to LSU, a class positioned as one of the nation's strongest. During her freshman campaign, Hines appeared in 33 of 35 games, averaging 4.2 points per game, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while shooting 44.9% from the field and 37.3% from three-point range. Over the final nine games of the season, her role expanded to 14 minutes per game, during which she shot 45% from three and demonstrated active perimeter defense. Her performance in a February 14 game against South Carolina, where she volunteered during a timeout to defend star guard Tessa Johnson, earned explicit praise from Mulkey, who stated: "I saw a kid that I need to play more...she got out there and guarded (Johnson), and she wasn't afraid to bow up to her."
Mulkey's public statements prior to these departures added to the surprise factor. In an interview with WAFB-TV last Thursday, immediately following Bourrage's portal entry, Mulkey stated that Bourrage would be "the only potential returner who had informed coaches that she was transferring," emphasizing the importance of roster continuity. She highlighted the returning freshman, freshman, sophomore, and junior composition as essential to building championship-level depth, saying, "That's how you build it. That's how you get over that hump of an Elite Eight."
Despite these departures, LSU retains key backcourt players including MiLaysia Fulwiley, Jada Richard, and Mikaylah Williams. The program is actively pursuing guard reinforcements through the transfer portal to offset the three departures and maintain competitive depth for the upcoming season.
Hines' departure is strategically significant given her pedigree and trajectory. The 5'10" New Mexico native was ranked No. 23 overall in the 2025 recruiting class by 247Sports and No. 5 at her shooting guard position. She was the first of five freshmen to commit to LSU, a class positioned as one of the nation's strongest. During her freshman campaign, Hines appeared in 33 of 35 games, averaging 4.2 points per game, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while shooting 44.9% from the field and 37.3% from three-point range. Over the final nine games of the season, her role expanded to 14 minutes per game, during which she shot 45% from three and demonstrated active perimeter defense. Her performance in a February 14 game against South Carolina, where she volunteered during a timeout to defend star guard Tessa Johnson, earned explicit praise from Mulkey, who stated: "I saw a kid that I need to play more...she got out there and guarded (Johnson), and she wasn't afraid to bow up to her."
Mulkey's public statements prior to these departures added to the surprise factor. In an interview with WAFB-TV last Thursday, immediately following Bourrage's portal entry, Mulkey stated that Bourrage would be "the only potential returner who had informed coaches that she was transferring," emphasizing the importance of roster continuity. She highlighted the returning freshman, freshman, sophomore, and junior composition as essential to building championship-level depth, saying, "That's how you build it. That's how you get over that hump of an Elite Eight."
Despite these departures, LSU retains key backcourt players including MiLaysia Fulwiley, Jada Richard, and Mikaylah Williams. The program is actively pursuing guard reinforcements through the transfer portal to offset the three departures and maintain competitive depth for the upcoming season.
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