LSU women's basketball earned top-10 status from the AP ahead of the 2026-27 season. Head coach Kim Mulkey and her team are No. 9 on the outlet's preseason poll, released last week.

The Tigers are the fourth-highest team out of the SEC on the list. They fall behind No. 1 South Carolina, No. 6 Texas and No. 8 Vanderbilt. No. 14 Kentucky, No. 19 Ole Miss and No. 21 Oklahoma round out the conference's representation.

The purple and gold play nine teams ranked in the preseason poll during the regular season. In addition to playing every ranked SEC school once, LSU faces No. 25 NC State in the Fort Myers Tip-Off over Thanksgiving weekend and No. 12 North Carolina for the SEC/ACC Challenge. It faces No. 2 UConn in Nashville on December 20, pitting Mulkey against fellow coaching great Geno Auriemma.

Mulkey enters her sixth season at the helm in Baton Rouge. She returns All-SEC first teamer Mikaylah Williams, SEC Sixth Woman of the Year MiLaysia Fulwiley and All-SEC freshman teamer ZaKiyah Johnson.