As the 2024-25 athletics season ramps up on campus, the LSU Women’s Basketball team has hit the practice court in anticipation of another year of hoops at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. With players like senior guard Aneesah Morrow, LSU is equipped for another run at a national championship. Morrow, who found her home away from home in Baton Rouge last year, cannot wait to continue her legacy in the Fighting Tiger uniform this season.

During Morrow’s first year with the Tigers, she elevated her game to another level, continuing to shine as one of the nation’s best and most versatile players. She was a standout in her debut season in the Purple and Gold, racking up 21 double-doubles, which was good for fifth in the nation.

Morrow is currently the NCAA Division I active leader in career rebounds, and she is ranked in the top five among active players in career scoring. She also dominated the defensive end of the floor last season, leading the team in steals with 2.5 per game. She tallied the third most steals in a season in LSU history (91).

One of Morrow’s main strengths is her versatility, as she can do everything from working the low post, bringing the ball up the court, or shooting it from long range. Standing 6-1, she is considered undersized for a post player, which can be a blessing. She can use her quickness and speed to get by the bigger defenders, or step back for a three-pointer.

“I feel like my versatility helps me in a tremendous number of ways,” said Morrow. “My mother has helped me a lot with that, understanding where to put my feet and place myself to put myself in a better position to score or be able to defend my opponent.”

Morrow says defense is her favorite part of basketball. She said she gets thrilling and exhilarating feelings from blocking a shot or swiping a ball from the opponent. She credits her mother for the origin of that defensive aggression that is such a big part of her skill set.

Her mom, Nafeesha, was an outstanding basketball player at Nebraska, while her dad, Edward, was a linebacker for the Cornhuskers’ football team. She always felt supported, never pressured, by her family.

“It was almost like my mom was just encouraging me to do what she had done, but at the same time, she wants me to be better than her,” Morrow explained. “She pushes me to strive for greatness and not take for granted the talents or the blessings that God has given me.”

Morrow entered the transfer portal in 2023 after her sophomore season at DePaul, looking for a school at which to not only thrive, but also challenge herself and her game.

The Chicago native finished her stint at DePaul as one of the best players in the Big East Conference and the country, but she was searching for a family – a home away from home.

All it took was LSU head coach Kim Mulkey, assistant coach Gary Redus II, and the relationships she made while visiting campus to lead her to Baton Rouge. Just like that, “NeesThaBeast” was born.

She came to LSU, which had established itself as one of the premier brands in women’s college basketball the prior season with a National Championship. The transfer to LSU brought more notoriety to her name, more NIL opportunities and a lot of opportunities to engage with the fan base. She was balancing all of that, along with school, while she was away from home for the first time in her life.

None of that kept her from having an outstanding 2023-24 season, where she showed the entire country that not only is she one of the best players in SEC, but one of the best players in the nation.

With career averages of 21.1 points and 11.9 rebounds, there is no questioning her ability to fill up the stat sheet and make big time plays. However, Morrow does a lot of the “dirty work” that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet – diving for loose balls, deflecting passes, or communicating with her teammates.

As the team begins preparations for the upcoming season, Morrow knows that championships are not the goal, but the expectation in Baton Rouge. She is excited for her last season with the Tigers, and she cannot wait to see what she can do in her final ride with her family at her home away from home.