GREENVILLE, S.C. -- LSU coach Kim Mulkey said Aneesah Morrow will be available to play in the upcoming NCAA tournament after the senior forward was helped off the floor during the third quarter of Saturday night's 56-49 loss to No. 1 Texas in the semifinals of the SEC tournament after stepping on an opponent's foot.
Mulkey also said leading scorer Flau'Jae Johnson, who sat out the tournament with a shin injury in order to prepare for the NCAAs, will also be ready to play for the ninth-ranked Tigers (28-5).
In her postgame news conference at the Bon Secours Wellsness Arena, Mulkey said Morrow aggravated a mid-foot sprain, something that she first injured in the the Tigers' last game against Texas on Feb. 16. She said Morrow wore a boot some last week when not practicing.
Morrow was seen on the LSU bench wearing the boot in the fourth quarter.
"She's good to go," Mulkey said. "I'm not surprised. She was fighting (the athletic training staff) to get back in the game. And they were like, 'Oh no, we have bigger fish to fry.' But that's Aneesah." ... But she can go for the tournament. Everything is good."
The NCAA tournament committee at times has lowered a team's seeding based on what players may not be available to play.
Mulkey seemed intent on not letting that happen.
"I know the NCAA sits there and says, 'Oh they don't have...,'" Mulkey said. "Well, we have everybody."
Morrow was making a move toward the basket with LSU trailing by five early in the third quarter when she stepped on Texas forward Taylor Jones's foot and immediately went down. Morrow remained on the floor being attended to by trainers for several minutes before being helped off the court to the lockerroom.
She was unable to put any pressure on the foot at the time.
Morrow set a school SEC tournament record on Friday when she scored 36 points in a 101-87 quarterfinal win over Florida. She came into Saturday's game averaging 18.7 points and 14 rebounds per game for the Tigers, who entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed and have national championship aspirations.