LSU women’s basketball head coach Kim Mulkey has given an update on Last-Tear Poa’s availability after missing the start of the season.
The Tigers have enjoyed a perfect start to the season, reaching a 3-0 record after dismantling the Charleston Southern Buccaneers 117-44 this week. And LSU might be about to go up another gear after Mulkey shared a positive update regarding Poa.
In the two exhibition games LSU played and the first three games of the season, the senior has been away from the team but Mulkey has quashed any murmurs of discontent by repeatedly insisting she is still a part of the program and would be back with the team at some point.
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Mulkey revealed that Poa is set to begin her return to the court in the immediate future. “Poa will be back on the practice floor tomorrow,” Mulkey said. “I don’t know when that I will play her but it’s time for her to be back on the practice floor.”
Mulkey had previously stated that Poa had to “take care of some business off the floor,” when she was asked about Poa’s absence. That same day, Poa filed a lawsuit against U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) after her P-1A Athlete visa application was denied. However, a team official of the Tigers told The Daily Advertiser that the two were not linked.
Poa is originally from Melbourne, Australia, and was granted legal residency in the United States on an F-1 student visa back in 2021. However, this visa does complicate benefiting from name, image and likeness (NIL) deals as it restricts engaging in no-work-study employment.
Last-Tear Poa has missed the start of LSU’s season
The visa that Poa applied for is meant for internationally recognized athletes. To gain approval applicants must demonstrate they are coming to the U.S. to compete at a major level. Poa believes that she qualifies due to her integral role for LSU and her sizeable social media following.
Aside from Poa, Mulkey also gave an update on senior point guard Shayeann Day-Wilson after she remained on the bench against the Buccaneers. Given the scoreline, Mulkey said that she didn’t feel the need to risk her after she suffered a minor problem in practice. “She got popped in the shoulder yesterday in practice,” Mulkey said of Day-Wilson ahead of the game. “I think (she) could’ve played in the game.”
Day-Wilson became the fourth LSU player to miss at least one game this season as the team have had to balance and monitor early injury and unavailability issues. Poa, guard Mjracle Sheppard and Izzy Besselman have all been absent this season.
LSU could be back up to their full compliment soon and host Murray State on Friday. The Racers hold a 1-1 record heading into the game.
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