With the regular season winding down, Tennessee travels to Baton Rouge to face Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers. Despite a 24-4 overall record, LSU’s four losses have all come in SEC play.

Tennessee, meanwhile, has struggled to maintain consistency throughout the season. The Lady Vols enter a potential Quad 1 opportunity and sit just a couple of games behind LSU in the SEC standings.

For LSU, the focus will be on avoiding any upsets in its last two games, and Kim Mulkey is looking to build momentum before the SEC tournament. LSU will also honor Flau’jae Johnson, Izzy Besselman, and Amiya Joyner on senior night in the program’s final home game.

LSU Vs Tennessee: Where to Watch

When: Thursday, February 26

Where: Pete Maravich Assembly Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Time: 6 PM ET

Network: ESPN

LSU Vs Tennessee: Injury Reports

LSU: N/A

Tennessee: Janiah Barker (expected to return), Mia Pauldo (uncertain)

Janiah Barker is expected to return after not traveling with the team for the Oklahoma game. the forward is likely to rejoin the starting lineup, replacing Zee Spearman. Mia Pauldo returned in the loss to Oklahoma, but only played 9 minutes and remains doubtful for Thursday’s game.

LSU has rotated lineups late in the season while preparing for postseason play. Still, we should see Mikaylah Williams start against Tennessee, with MiLaysia Fulwiley continuing to provide key scoring off the bench.

LSU Vs Tennessee: Probable Lineups

LSU: Flau’jae Johnson, Mikaylah Williams, Jada Richard, ZaKiyah Johnson, Amiya Joyner

Tennessee: Talaysia Cooper, Nya Robertson, Deniya Prawl, Janiah Barker, Alyssa Latham

Prediction: Can Tennessee upset LSU in Baton Rouge?

LSU comes into the game as a heavy favorite, with the home team having a 90% chance of victory on Thursday night, as per Polymarket odds. And while the LSU Tigers have been dominant lately in this matchup, leading 6-2 in their last few battles, the Lady Volunteers have historically been the favored team, home and away.

The key battle will be on the boards. The Tennessee Lady Volunteers missed Janiah Barker’s defensive presence around the paint against the Oklahoma Sooners, and it would be interesting to see how the forward performs after head coach Kim Caldwell’s strong words before the loss to Oklahoma.

Kim Mulkey would look toward junior guard MiLaysia Fulwiley’s production from the bench to help during the starters’ rotation. Their last match, a 53-point win over the Missouri Tigers, saw 7 LSU players record double-figure scoring performances, and the head coach would hope for more of the same on Thursday night.

For Tennessee, Talaysia Cooper will again be in charge of leading the offense, this time against one of the tightest defenses in the conference. The Lady Volunteers are fast becoming a potent threat from the three-point line, and a repeat of their last game performance from behind the arc could put LSU in real trouble. The matchup could turn really competitive if Tennessee finds its groove in Baton Rouge.