Kim Mulkey's update on ZaKiyah Johnson's absence on Sunday

Freshman forward ZaKiyah Johnson was sidelined for LSU’s game vs. UT Arlington on Sunday afternoon, but it was not an injury. Kim Mulkey spoke on her absence after the game and indicated that it was a light disciplinary situation.

“She knows why she didn’t play and it isn’t a big deal. It ain’t grades. She’s got a 3.7 GPA. It’s just a little mama pat on the hand and let’s move on. She’s a great kid. It’s just a one game deal. Gotta get their attention.”

Johnson will be returning to LSU’s rotation in the coming games as the Tigers have just one game left before the start of SEC play. The Tigers rolled with a 110-45 win over UT Arlington on Sunday, improving to 13-0 on the season.

Johnson had a strong start to the season, scoring 11.8 points per game in the first 12 games of the year. She also averaging 5.8 boards and 1.1 steals, in just 18.2 minutes, shooting 63 percent from the field.

Johnson was a prized recruit for LSU as a five-star prospect in the 2025 class out of Kentucky. She was a massive recruiting win for Kim Mulkey and the staff and is still a talented player and will be a key part of the Tigers’ season moving forward into SEC play this year

“It’s coming,” Johnson said. “Mulkey’s preparing us every single day. I’ve talked to Flau’jae and Mikaylah but we’re all new, really, down in the post. So coach Mulkey is really telling us what to look forward to. But I think we’re ready. We got a lot more work to do but it’s going to be fun. We’ll come ready for the challenge.”

The Tigers are back in action on Dec. 29 against Alabama State to finish out the non-conference slate. Following that game, the Tigers will host Kentucky on Jan. 1 at 7 p.m.

Going into the LSU-UTA game, the Tigers are one of 12 teams that remain undefeated throughout the country. The Tigers are also one of five Southeastern Conference schools with an undefeated women’s basketball squad. 

​​As of Dec. 20, LSU leads the country in seven statistical categories including bench points per game (49.8), field goal percentage (55.6), rebound margin (23.3), offensive rebounds per game (20.0), scoring margin (53.5), scoring offense (107.8), and three-point percentage (41.6).

Stay tuned to the Bengal Tiger On3 for the latest WBB news and intel across the season.