Last season, the could go only as far as its three stars could take it.
If one had an injury or a rough shooting night, then it was hard for the Tigers to win 鈥� especially in the postseason.
That鈥檚 less true now. In recent games, LSU has received more offensive production from the one returner, three transfers and three freshmen who comprise the cast of contributors around stars and which has given coach a chance to dust off the refrain she repeated throughout November and December.
鈥淲e have the depth now,鈥� Mulkey said last Thursday.
And the No. 6 Tigers (19-2, 5-2 SEC) likely will get the chance to use it again when they host Arkansas at 7 p.m. Thursday (SEC Network+). The Razorbacks are winless in league play. The SEC is tough, but the last two games have shown that LSU should win its sixth straight contest with relative ease, whether Johnson and Williams have big nights or not.
鈥淚've enjoyed watching, especially (Johnson) and (Williams),鈥� Mulkey said, 鈥渕ake their teammates better. Because they could shoot it 20 or 25 times every game, but that doesn't make us better, and they enjoy it now because they see production.鈥�
Johnson and Williams are both shooting and scoring far less often than they did in SEC play last season, yet the Tigers have managed to put up points at a higher clip than they did a year ago. Through seven games, LSU has the league鈥檚 second-best scoring average (81 points per game) in SEC games.
Johnson and Williams aren鈥檛 the only offensive threats. The Tigers now have a point guard who can hit outside shots consistently, a reserve guard who can finish difficult layups at the end of her own fastbreak chances, and a few frontcourt players who鈥檝e shown they can score around the rim.
As a result, LSU is starting to share the scoring responsibilities more than it did in previous seasons.
In 2025 league play, Johnson, Williams and were responsible for 63% of LSU鈥檚 field-goal attempts and 66% of its points. They each scored more than 17 ppg. 鈥� then a junior guard who was playing the role has assumed this season 鈥� was the only other contributor who took more than five shots per game.
Now the Tigers have seven players who are attempting more than five field goals per contest. LSU鈥檚 three leading shot-takers 鈥� Johnson, Williams and Fulwiley 鈥� are responsible for only half of its field-goal tries.
Just seven league matchups have come and gone, and seven different Tigers have at least one 10-point game. Six have at least one 15-point game. Four have at least one 20-point game.
Last season, Gilbert was the only contributor not named Johnson, Williams or Morrow to score more than 20 points. She hit that mark in two of the 16 regular-season league contests.
already has matched that feat during her sophomore season. She鈥檚 scored 20 points in two of the Tigers鈥� last three games.
Mulkey seems to have settled on a nine-player rotation 鈥� the same size as the one she used last season. The difference is that seven of the players who cracked that group this season are chipping in more than five points per game. Last year, only four contributors had that scoring average 鈥� Johnson, Williams, Morrow and Gilbert.
鈥淚 would think that's part of our identity,鈥� Mulkey said. 鈥淲ho are you going to stop?
鈥淪o many kids are caught up into scoring averages and scoring the ball. Our team is really good when nobody cares about that. Because you're gonna all play. You're gonna all be recognized.鈥�
Not just the two or three stars most responsible for LSU鈥檚 national title chase.