LSU WBB: National Champion Guard Kateri Poole Reveals Transfer Destination

National Champion LSU guard Kateri Poole will resume her playing career after being dismissed from the 2023-24 squad, she revealed on social media on Sunday.

Poole, a member of Kim Mulkey's National Championship group a year ago, departed the program after just four games of last season for unspecified reasons.

Now, the former five-star recruit out of high school will join the Houston Cougars program to finish off her playing career.

Head coach Kim Mulkey broke the news of Poole leaving LSU on Dec. 10. She was a key member of the national championship run from a year ago, playing in 35 games. 

Poole’s value came on the defensive end, shutting down opposing guards on the perimeter.

Poole's last appearance with LSU came on Nov. 17 when the Tigers faced Southeastern in Mulkey's return to Tangipahoa Parish. After missing three weeks worth of games before then, she made the move to depart the program. 

Poole and All-American forward Angel Reese were away from the program when No. 7 LSU traveled to the Cayman Islands for their Thanksgiving tournament last month with Reese returning to the team the following week.

For Poole, she never made her return. A key component to the Tigers' National Championship run last season, LSU lost a piece of depth in the backcourt with her departure from Baton Rouge.

The Ohio State transfer started all six games of LSU's NCAA Tournament run in 2023, helping the Tigers improve defensively on their way to their first title in program history.

Mulkey and Co. saw a myriad of issues take headlines during the early parts of the 2023-24 season. 

With Reese missing several games of the season for unspecified reasons, along with Poole, it became a challenging first half of the season, but the program continued winning ball games.

During non-conference play against Louisiana-Lafayette, the Tigers were also without starting point guard Hailey Van Lith while she nursed plantar fasciitis in her foot. She was seen going through drills during warmups prior to the showdown but did not suit up for the reigning National Champions. 

Now, the former Tiger (Poole) is set to resume her playing career and cap off her college run with the Houston Cougars after a recent trip to check out the program last week.

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