2 weeks Ago By Matthew Neschis
LSU women’s basketball team has lost one of its former five-star recruits - but it may not be long before the Tigers welcome another major transfer. Fresh off a gut-wrenching loss to UCLA in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, LSU’s roster has undergone no shortage of changes over recent weeks. Kim Mulkey’s squad made their first big splash of the offseason by acquiring Notre Dame's Kate Koval before additionally bringing in East Carolina's Amiya Joyner .
Yet forward Jersey Wolfenbarger , guard Last-Tear Poa , forward Sa'Myah Smith and center Aalyah Del Rosario have entered the transfer portal, with Poa joining Arizona State . Star guard Flau'jae Johnson, meanwhile, briefly sparked concerns that she could be on her way out . On Monday, Del Rosario - once a top-ranked recruit - finalized her departure from Baton Rouge, announcing on social media that she’d officially committed to fellow SEC school Vanderbilt.
Taking to Instagram, she shared a series of photos from her visit with the Commodores alongside the caption: “Music City, what’s good?!!” Since joining LSU out of Webb School - Bell Buckle in 2023, Del Rosario has struggled to find consistent playing time in the Tigers’ crowded frontcourt. During her freshman campaign, she averaged 4.7 points, 3.
5 rebounds and 0.2 assists while averaging 11.2 minutes over 37 games.
As a sophomore, Del Rosario saw a decrease in her time on the court, playing only 6.25 minutes per game while averaging two points and two assists. Despite her offensive struggles, the 6-foot-6 rising junior still managed to shine on defense - amassing 38 total blocks in the last two seasons.
While Del Rosario’s decision to leave LSU ultimately boiled down to a lack of minutes, she will still have to fight tooth and nail for playing time at Vanderbilt. Aiyana Mitchell, Sacha Washington and Trinity Wilson currently make up the Commodores' group of post players, which ranked 15th of 16 SEC programs in rebounding margin during the 2024-25 campaign. In the absence of Del Rosario, the Tigers have turned their attention to Wisconsin forward Serah Williams, who they are reportedly pulling out all the stops for .
Over 30 games last season - all of which she started - the All-Big Ten forward averaged 19.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.
4 assists. According to Sports Illustrated’s Zack Nagy , LSU was "wining and dining the All-Big Ten star," with Mulkey and her coaching staff said to be going “all in” for Williams. Johnson and Mikaylah Williams also accompanied the 21-year-old and members of the Tigers staff at a dinner and night out on the town.
Announcing her decision to enter the transfer portal following Wisconsin head coach Marisa Mosley’s decision to step down, Williams wrote: "Thank you Coach Mo and coaching staff for the past 3 years. Thank you Wisconsin and the Badger community for all of your support. I’m super blessed and grateful.
With that being said, I’ve decided to enter the transfer portal.".
