The latest on America’s No. 1 prospect, LSU’s Recruiting Push

Kim Mulkey and the LSU women’s basketball staff have had a pivotal recruiting month after bringing in several five-star prospects for official visits in September.

Mulkey and Co. hosted prospects last month, boarded flights for personal visits and more after strengthening their 2025 Recruiting Big Board.

Now the goals are set after the board is shuffled and the foot is taken off the accelerator for the No. 1 player in America.

The latest on LSU’s recruiting campaign:

Mulkey and the LSU staff are no longer recruiting the No. 1 prospect in America, Aaliyah Chavez, a source confirmed to LSU Tigers On SI. On3 Sports first reported this.

A gem in the Recruiting Class of 2025, Chavez took an unofficial visit to LSU this summer, where the Tigers began to gain traction.

Now LSU will take its foot off the gas on its recruiting, with Chavez’s camp asking for a NIL package that exceeds the $1 million mark, a source tells LSU Tigers On SI.

It’s a number the LSU staff doesn’t want to match, while Texas and Texas Tech now want to be the frontrunners for her services.

Over the summer, Chavez narrowed her list to LSU, Texas, Tech Tech, UCLA, Oklahoma and South Carolina.

Now LSU has left the conversation and will continue to shift focus elsewhere.

With a pair of five-star commitments already on board in the 2025 cycle, Mulkey and Co. set their sights on more blue-chippers.

Five-star LSU commits Bella Hines

Last weekend, LSU staff held a home visit with five-star commit Bella Hines, sources told LSU Tigers On SI.

Hines, a Top 25 prospect in the class of 2025, unveiled a commitment to Mulkey and the Tigers in April after the staff turned up the heat.

The New Mexico native is an elite-level go-getter who has starred in both high school and the AAU program this summer.

Mulkey has proven to be one of the best recruiters in college basketball, with high hopes for the 2025 recruiting cycle.

“In this business, you’re going to win some of those battles and lose some of them,” Kim Mulkey said in February. “The crazy thing is you never know why a recruit chooses a school. Sometimes it’s close to home, sometimes it’s the players on the team, sometimes it’s being able to play fast. Now, after three years of being here, it’s good to be part of the conversation. Now I don’t like just being in the top five. I don’t want to chase a wild goose, I want a legit shot at you.

“I think as we grow as a staff, I don’t worry about numbers for kids’ names. There are so many overrated kids, and then you look at the ones that don’t have a number for their name and they do. I’m more busy doing our homework, see who we like and let’s go after them and quickly eliminate the ones we have no shot at.”

Grace Knox: No. 8 prospect in America

LSU held a home visit with the Top 10 player in America last week, sources told LSU Tigers On SI, with the program ratcheting up the heat for the West Coast star.

Knox has released her finalists, consisting of LSU, Texas, USC and Tennessee, and all four are looking to bring her to town for official visits this fall.

The California native has four official visits planned, with the LSU Tigers getting the first shot at the five-star in early September. Following her trip to Baton Rouge, Knox will visit Texas (September 14), USC (September 28) and Tennessee (October 28) before unveiling a commitment decision.

The 6-foot-4 forward is one of the most intriguing prospects in the class of 2025 because of her elite ability to make shots off the dribble. A coveted target, Mulkey and Co. are ratcheting up the excitement for one of the top players in America who will now take an official visit to LSU and get a home visit, all in the span of two weeks.

Kim Mulkey and the LSU women’s basketball staff have secured a commitment from the No. 5 prospect in America: Divine Bourrage.

Bourrage announced a decision three weeks ago after an official visit to Baton Rouge in early September.

The Top 5 player in the class of 2025 gives Mulkey and Co. their second commitment in the current recruiting class, with the program landing the high-profile target. She joins Top 25 prospect Bella Hines as the pair’s commitments in the cycle.

Bourrage, a 6-foot-2 guard from Iowa, headed to LSU earlier this month for an official visit along with a pair of Top 10 players in America.

She was joined by Zakiyah Johnson, the No. 7 overall prospect in the 2025 cycle, and Grace Knox, the No. 8-rated recruit.

The five-star trio was treated to photo shoots, the LSU football home opener and more by LSU staff during the multi-day stay.

Now, the program’s recruiting efforts continue to pay off after landing a commitment from the top-ranked prospect in the city just days ago.

With Bourrage on board, the Tigers have now added their second commitment of the 2025 cycle, with a pair of Top 10 prospects remaining on their radar.

Zakiyah Johnson: No. 7 player in America

The 6-foot-1 guard from Kentucky is a player the LSU staff remains excited about, with the No. 7 forward in America also arriving in Baton Rouge for an official visit earlier this month.

LSU, South Carolina, Louisville and Kentucky are the big players in this battle, with Louisville becoming a recruiting threat, a source tells LSU Tigers On SI.

But the Tigers are starting to position themselves well for the bucket-getter at the elite level.

When it comes to Johnson, Kentucky and Louisville in-state schools are turning up the heat, but the general feeling is that the Tigers are making up ground here.

This month’s visit was a hit and she was clearly involved from start to finish. From social media posts to having fun with the current players, the overall “vibe” was positive for Johnson. LSU has made a big step in her recruiting, but she’ll be doing her fair share of travel here as well.

Ayla McDowell: No. 20 prospect in America

The 2025 prospect took an official visit to LSU two weeks ago for the weekend of the LSU vs. UCLA football game.

Now, after the multi-day stay, the Bayou Bengals are keeping their foot on the accelerator for her services.

McDowell, a Top 25 prospect in America, spoke with the staff, held a one-on-one with Mulkey, attended a game day at Tiger Stadium on Saturday and much more before leaving after a three-day stay.

The 6-foot-1 wing is a versatile prospect with several top programs in her ear. Now the LSU Tigers achieved the coveted goal last weekend as McDowell headed to Louisiana for an official.

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