LSU Gold

#5 Ayana Mitchell Season 2019-20

Position
Forward
Height
6'0
Class
Senior
Hometown
Conyers, Ga.
High School
Salem HS

2020 All-SEC Second Team
2020 SEC Community Service Team
2020 LSWA Co-Player of the Year
2020 All-Louisiana First Team
2019-20 Katrina McClain Award – Top 10 Finalist
2019-20 Senior Class Award – Top 30 Candidate
2019 Junkanoo Jam Bimini Division All-Tournament Team
2019-20 John R. Wooden Award – Preseason Watch List
2019-20 Naismith Trophy – Preseason Watch List
2019-20 Preseason All-SEC – Media First Team & Coaches First Team
Salem High School Athletics Hall of Fame – Class of 2020
2019 USA Basketball – Pan Am Games Team Trials Competitor
2019 First Team All-SEC
2019 All-Louisiana First Team

CAREER
* Earned bachelor’s degree in Spring 2020.
* 2-time team captain.
* 5th player in LSU history to score over 1,000 points and grab 900 rebounds.
* 6th player in LSU history to grab 900 career rebounds; finished in 6th place with 911. 
* 33rd Tiger to reach 1,000 career points; finished in 22nd place with 1,275. 
* Recorded 36 career double-doubles.
* LSU was 45-24 when she scored 10 or more points in a game.
* Played in 115 games and started in 99, including all 29 games in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.
* Averaged 11.1 points and 7.9 rebounds over her four-plus seasons with the program.
* Shot 59.5 percent from the field and had 180 steals over her LSU career.
* Final LSU career ranking is No. 3 in field goal percentage and No. 4 in free throw attempts (586).
* Had back surgery in November 2015 and missed the remainder of the 2015-16 season, earning a medical hardship.
* Team honors – MVP (2019 & 2020), Offensive Player of the Year (2019), Most Improved (2018)

SENIOR SEASON (2019-20)
* Named to the 2020 All-SEC Second Team and SEC Community Service Team.
* Selected 2020 LSWA Co-Player of the Year and All-Louisiana First Team.
* Top-10 Finalist for Katrina McClain Award.
* Preseason Watch Lists – John R. Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy. 
* Season cut short with injury in 21st game of season on Feb. 2; started Senior Game for 10 seconds vs. Georgia; one game short of being included in SEC and NCAA stats rankings.
* Second in scoring with 13.0 points per game.
* Posted field goal percentage of 67.9 percent; included a streak of 21 consecutive field goals made over 3 games (last 2 baskets versus Memphis, Nov. 30; 9-9 vs. Nicholls, Dec. 3; 10-10 at Oklahoma, Dec. 7).
* 11 games missing two or fewer shots in a game – Twice = 4 times; Once = 5 times; None = 2 times.
* Field goal percentage ranked No. 3 in the nation at the time of injury.
* Shot 89.2 from the field over four games in the month of December.
* In SEC play, shot at least 70 percent in 5 of 9 games, including three at 80.0 or higher.
* Season-high 24 points at Tennessee on Jan. 26.
* Season-high 16 rebounds at Missouri on Jan. 5.
* Double-double performances:
– 15 points and 13 rebounds vs. New Orleans (Nov. 5)
– 10 points and 10 rebounds at Tulane (Nov. 17)
– 14 points and 13 rebounds vs. Southeastern (Nov. 20)
– 17 points and 10 rebounds vs. Rutgers (Nov. 24)
– 20 points and 11 rebounds vs. Alabama (Jan. 2)
– 14 points and 16 rebounds at Missouri (Jan. 5)
– 12 points and 14 rebounds vs. Ole Miss (Jan. 12)
– 22 points and 12 rebounds at Mississippi State (Jan. 16)
– 24 points and 12 rebounds at Tennessee (Jan. 26)
* Earned LSWA Player of the Week honors on January 23.
* Inducted into Salem High School Hall of Fame and had high school jersey retired on January 24.

JUNIOR SEASON (2018-19)
* Named to the 2019 All-SEC First Team and All-Louisiana First Team. 
* Started all 29 games.
* First in scoring with 13.5 points per game, ranked 17th in the SEC. 
* Finished 24th in the nation and second in the SEC, shooting a team-leading 56.3 field goal percentage. 
* Ranked 30th in the nation and third in the SEC in rebounds per game at 10.5. 
* Tied for first on the team with 48 steals.
* Posted season-high five steals vs. Kentucky on January 17. 
* Scored a season-high 24 points against Kansas on November 29. 
* Had career-high 21 rebounds against Auburn on March 3. 
* Ranked 20th in the nation and second in the league with 16 double-doubles.
* Double-double performances:
– 20 points and 15 rebounds vs. Sam Houston (Nov. 6)
– 14 points and 18 rebounds vs. Northern Colorado (Nov. 11)
– 19 points and 18 rebounds vs. Tulane (Nov. 15)
– 10 points and 10 rebounds at. Florida State (Nov. 18)
– 24 points and 17 rebounds vs. Kansas (Nov. 29)
– 10 points and 10 rebounds at Georgia (Jan. 3)
– 10 points and 14 rebounds vs. Texas A&M (Jan. 6)
– 10 points and 11 rebounds vs. South Carolina (Jan. 13)
 – 14 points and 10 rebounds vs. Kentucky (Jan. 17)
 – 12 points and 10 rebounds at Tennessee (Jan. 27)
 – 17 points and 12 rebounds vs. Missouri (Feb. 4)
 – 21 points and 17 rebounds vs. Arkansas (Feb. 7)
 – 19 points and 11 rebounds at Kentucky (Feb. 24)
 – 11 points and 15 rebounds at Mississippi State (Feb. 28)
 – 15 points and 21 rebounds vs. Auburn (March 3)
 – 16 points and 11 rebounds at Tennessee (March 7) 
* Earned LSWA Player of the Week honors twice this season on January 1 and February 25. 

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2017-18)
* Started all 29 games.
* Third in scoring with 11.0 points per game.
* Lead defender in the paint with 16 games as the team’s leading rebounder and averaged 8.2 boards per game.
* Ranked eighth in the SEC in rebounding average.
* Most efficient field goal shooter on the team at 55.6 percent.
* Shot 50.0 percent or better in 17 games from the field with a career-best 85.7 (6-7) in home-opening win against Southeastern.
* Shot over 80.0 from the field in five games, including 11 of 13 (84.6) in overtime win against Alabama (Feb. 25).
* Third on the team with 52 steals.
* Posted season-high four steals in win at Arkansas (Feb. 18) and vs. Texas A&M (March 2).
* Scored a career high 27 points in regular-season finale overtime victory against Alabama (Feb. 25); Also had 12 rebounds for seventh double-double of the season.
* Tied career high with 16 rebounds in win over Tennessee (Jan. 28).
* Grabbed 10 or more boards in nine games, including eight games with double-digit scoring.
* Other double-double performances:
– 10 points and 13 rebounds at Northern Colorado (Nov. 15)
– 17 points and 11 rebounds vs. nationally-ranked Mississippi State (Jan. 7)
– 12 points and 13 rebounds at Florida (Jan. 14)
– 16 points and 15 rebounds vs. Georgia (Feb. 1)
– 13 points and 12 rebounds at Kentucky (Feb. 4)
– 19 points and 13 rebounds at Arkansas (Feb. 18)
– 17 points and 11 rebounds vs. Texas A&M in SEC quarterfinals (March 2).
* Posted 16 points and nine rebounds against Central Michigan in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament (March 17).
* Earned LSWA Player of the Week honors twice during the season on Feb. 7 and Feb. 20.

REDSHIRT FRESHMAN SEASON (2016-17)
* Played in all 32 games as a redshirt freshman after returning to the court following a back injury suffered in 2015-16.
* Started the first 18 games of the season.
* Was fourth on the team in scoring with 8.1 points per game.
* Ranked third on the squad with 5.4 boards per contest.
* Logged three double-doubles.
* Led team in rebounding in nine games and in scoring in two meetings.
* Scored in double figures in 14 games, including in five of the final nine games of the season.
* Was LSU’s most consistent shooter, hitting 60 percent (89-149) of her shots from the field.
* Hauled down five or more rebounds in 15 games.
* Shot 50% or better from the field in 25 games.
* Set a career mark and led the team with 16 points in the win over Wake Forest.
* Led the team in steals with six against No. 3 UConn.
* Recorded first career double-double in win over NC State in the Paradise Jam with 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, including two crucial defensive boards late in the game that helped LSU seal the win; Grabbed the defensive board off the missed NC State free throw and fed the ball to Raigyne Moncrief, who raced down the court and threw up the game-winning 3-pointer with four seconds left in game.
* Registered second career double-double with 11 points and team-best 10 rebounds in the win over North Carolina on the road.
* Second-leading scorer at Tennessee with 14 points off a 5-of-6 effort from the field and 4-of-6 shooting from the line; 83% shooting (5-6) from the field versus Tennessee was the best shooting mark for her in games that she has taken at least five shots.
* Registered her third career double-double off the bench with 10 points and 10 rebounds in a road win over Ole Miss; was 8-of-12 from the free-throw line in the game and the eight free throws made was a career mark.
* Had a productive game in the win over Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament with 14 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals in 31 minutes of action.
* Posted an eight-point, eight-rebound effort in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against California.

FRESHMAN SEASON (2015-16)
* Opened her rookie campaign with 14 points off a 6-of-6 effort from the field on the road at Wake Forest; also posted five rebounds and one steal in her first career game with the Lady Tigers (Nov. 13).
* Had successful back surgery in late November and missed the remainder of the season.
* Received a medical hardship waiver from the NCAA to regain her freshman season.

HIGH SCHOOL (2011-15)
* Prepped at Salem High School in Conyers, Georgia.
* Played for Georgia Pistols club team.
* A four-star recruit and ranked as a Top 50 player by multiple recruiting websites, including ESPNW.
* Named to the All-USA Georgia Girls Basketball First Team by USA Today in 2015.
* Earned Georgia Class 5A Player of the Year honors as a senior from the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
* Secured multiple Class 5A All-State First-Team selections as a junior and senior.
* Poured in 18.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 1.0 blocks per game as a junior.
* Earned a 3.6 GPA in the classroom.

PERSONAL
* Nickname is Ya.
* Daughter of Lucky and Thea Mitchell; Mom is a breast cancer survivor.
* Has 2 sisters, Ashli and Andrea, and 3 brothers, Lucky Jr., Andre and Darrell; ‘I’m the baby’; Ashli is an artist in Atlanta focusing on murals.
* Born on December 31, 1996.
* Majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with minors in Business, Communications and Sports Administration.
* Hobbies – scrapbooking, journaling, bowling, makes own wigs to change her look.
* Favorite food – burnt, grilled hot dogs; cookout food.
* Favorite music/artist – Ella Mai.
* Favorite hangout activity – cooking, the pool.
* Favorite movie – The Color Purple.
* Life after basketball – want to be involved with people, something that allows me to be a mentor.
* Why LSU? Because of the family atmosphere and I enjoy the campus, reminds me of home.
* O the places I will go – Any place with a beach.
* Started playing basketball at age 7.
* Full name is Ayana Veronica Mitchell. Shares middle name with Mom.

Full Bio