TAMPA, Fla. — The LSU Lady Tiger basketball team early Thursday evening reached their destination arriving here for the NCAA Women’s Final Four.
They still have miles to go on the “Drive For Five” to reach the ultimate goal of a potential women’s national championship in college basketball.
The Lady Tigers took a flight of just under 90 minutes to the Tampa airport and then a bus ride of less than 10 minutes to their headquarters for the next several days, the Renaissance Hotel Tampa. On the trip were team members, managers and trainers, coaching staff and several LSU administrators with the band, cheerleaders and the remainder of the LSU travel party to arrive on Friday.
The team was met by members of the local media and was given a brief welcome reception by the Tampa Local Organizing Committee. Much like in Maui, there was a giant sand sculpture greeting the players with the Final Four local and noting LSU as the team at the hotel. The LOC also presented Coach Van Chancellor a Final Four game ball and all the members of the team will receive one upon their return to Baton Rouge.
The players seemed to sense the drill of arriving in the Final Four city as they quickly gathered to pose for a few pictures, do a few interviews and then gathered the room keys and took the elevators to the quiet of their hotel floor.
The team was scheduled to go to a team dinner Thursday night at one of the restaurants in the Mall that connects to the hotel before beginning Final Four activities on Friday. The team will have a closed practice at a local gymnasium in the morning before the starting five and Coach Chancellor move to the arena for ESPN’s video shoot and interviews with the announcers for the game.
Later Friday night, will be the annual Salute dinner featuring the four teams, including a boat cruise to the arena at which the team members will be sized for their NCAA Final Four rings.
LSU faces Tennessee in the second national semifinal Sunday night at approximately 8:30 p.m. CDT following the first semifinals between UConn and Stanford.