LSU women’s basketball newcomer Anna Minaeva made headlines when she joined retooled front court for head coach Kim Mulkey. She explained what the coaching staff saw when recruiting the 17-year-old Russian phenom.

“We watched her on film and first thing I think Bob [Starkey] and I noticed is she has tremendous footwork for a big girl, so whoever was working with her in Russia has done a tremendous job,” Mulkey said. “She has good hands.”

Advertisement

Minaeva committed to the Tigers over the summer and immediately joined the team in Baton Rouge. The sudden departure of Kate Koval created a gaping hole at the starting five. It remains to be seen if the six-foot-five forward will take a tipoff this season, but she may see more minutes than previously expected.

Prior to joining the purple and gold, Minaeva played for MBA Moscow. She averaged 11.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game across 29 contests in the Russia Premier League and the Russia Superleague. Mulkey expects her to face adversity in the SEC as a freshman but remains confident in her trajectory.

“She’s going to get her lunch handed to her and the physicality; I don’t even know if she’s ever lifted a weight until she got over here,” Mulkey said. “But her fundamentals, her skill level, that young lady is going to be special by the time she finishes college.”

LSU women’s basketball will play its first regular season game on Monday, Nov. 2, when the Tigers host SE Louisiana.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU’s Kim Mulkey talks recruiting of Russian forward Anna Minaeva