SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Annesah Morrow's final game for LSU ended with tears but also gratitude for Tigers coach Kim Mulkey, who called her a “walking double-double.”
Morrow, who is expected to be among the top picks in next month's WNBA draft, finished her college career with 30 double-doubles this season and 104 for her career.
The 6-foot-1 forward is one of two women in NCAA history with more than 100 double-doubles. She was also the only player in the country with more than 600 points and 450 rebounds this season.
Morrow finished with 15 points and seven rebounds in LSU's 72-65 loss to UCLA in the Elite Eight of the women's NCAA Tournament, a painful finish both emotionally and physically. She briefly left a game after the back of teammate Sa’Myah Smith's head banged into her nose.
“Coach Mulkey challenged me to be a better person, be a better player, and she challenged me to be able to make it in the real world,” Morrow said. “She keeps it real with you, she shows you how it is, and I’m honestly grateful for that.”
Former LSU teammate Angel Reese of the WNBA's Chicago Sky posted to social media: “Me & Nees gon be killing eachother for rebounds in the W,” with a few laughing emojis.
Morrow, a three-time Associated Press All-America selection, was taken out of Sunday's game with 1:22 left in the third quarter after the collision with Smith. Morrow had a bloody nose and appeared woozy from the contact, and she was taken to the locker room with a towel to her face.
She missed the rest of the third quarter, but the crowd at Spokane Arena roared when she checked back in before the start of the fourth.
“My nose was bleeding, but I’m tough and I’m going to go out there and compete with my teammates. I’m going to try to do everything I can,” Morrow said.
Mulkey has seen Morrow fight through much more than a bloody nose.
“You wish you had Aneesah every time you walked on a court every day because you knew what you were getting from her and her effort. It didn’t matter how banged up she was, how hurt she felt,” Mulkey said. “She will take this loss extremely hard because that’s how she was raised. And give me the Aneesah Morrows of the world every day.”
Morrow has shown strength off the court, too. Her transfer from DePaul in her native Chicago to LSU for her junior year was a risk that paid off.
”It was hard getting away from (my) family and, honestly, experiencing a culture shock. I had to grow up a lot, and I put a lot on my shoulders to come out and do what I did every night,” Morrow said. “Nobody in the country did what I did every night. Nobody in the country has done what I did over the four years, and I’m honestly just proud of myself for overcoming as much as I overcame and being able to do it on the biggest level.”
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LSU forward Aneesah Morrow (24) reacts after getting a rebound during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament against North Carolina State, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
