LSU’s Morrow, Reese And Van Lith On Wade Watchlist

ATLANTA – LSU was the only school to have three players on the WBCA Preseason Wade Watchlist on Thursday as Aneesah Morrow, Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith were on the list for the award that is presented each year to the best player in college women's basketball.

Morrow is entering her first season at LSU after transferring to LSU over the summer and was rated as the No. 2 player in the transfer portal.

A double-double machine, Morrow has 53 double-doubles in 66 career games. She led the Big East in rebounding both of the past two seasons and finished second in the conference in scoring both years. Last season Morrow averaged 25.7 points (No. 4 in NCAA) and 12.2 rebounds (No. 7 in NCAA). She and Angel Reese were the only two players in the country to rank inside the top-10 nationally in both scoring and rebounding. As a freshman during the 2021-22 season both the WBCA and USBWA tabbed Morrow as the National Freshman of the Year.

Reese is entering her second season at LSU and is coming off a season in which she led the Tigers to their first National Championship and was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.

A unanimous First-Team All-America last season, Reese set the NCAA record with 34 double-doubles throughout the season after beginning the season with a LSU record 23 consecutive double-doubles. She led the SEC in scoring (23.0 ppg) and rebounding (15.4 rpg), becoming the fourth player in conference history to lead the league in both categories. Reese also set SEC record in total rebounds (555), free throws made (240) and free throw attempts (339). Her 830 points were the third most ever by a LSU player in a season.

Van Lith is entering her first year at LSU after transferring from Louisville. ESPN tabbed her as the top player in this year’s transfer portal.

Over the past three seasons, Van Lith was one of the top players in the ACC and in the country. Last season she was on the First-Team All-ACC and was an AP All-America honorable mention. She averaged 19.7 points, 3.2 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game last season and was the only player in American other than Iowa’s Caitlin Clark who averaged at least 19 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Over the Summer, Van Lith claimed a Gold Medal with Team USA at the 3×3 FIBA World Cup.

No. 1 LSU will open its season on Monday at 6:30 p.m. CT on TNT against No. 20 Colorado in the Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas.

Here is the complete 2023-24 Preseason Wade Watch list:

Georgia Amoore - Virginia Tech - G
Cameron Brink - Stanford - F
Paige Bueckers -Connecticut - G
Kamilla Cardoso - South Carolina - C
Caitlin Clark - Iowa - G
Aaliyah Edwards - Connecticut - F
Rori Harmon - Texas - G
Mackenzie Holmes - Indiana - F
Rickea Jackson - Tennessee - F
Elizabeth Kitley - Virginia Tech - C
Ta'Niya Latson - Florida State - G
Olivia Miles - Notre Dame - G
Aneesah Morrow - LSU - G
Alissa Pili - Utah - G
Angel Reese - LSU - F
Hailey Van Lith - LSU - G