5 reasons why Angel Reese won't be able to win the NCAAW championship with LSU

Defending champion LSU and its star Angel Reese, known as "Bayou Barbie," are on a quest to join a veritable elite group of back-to-back NCAAW champions. But like every other team competing in March Madness, the Lady Tigers will still have their hurdles to overcome--and here are five of the most glaring things they need to take care of, especially for Reese herself.

#1 LSU`s overall chemistry needs improvement

The offseason brought in some fresh talent with DePaul`s Aneesah Morrow and Louisville stalwart Hailey Van Lith. But while Morrow and Van Lith have contributed well enough, LSU`s chemistry remains a work in progress (via ESPN).

This led to the team having some sort of up-and down season, wherein they started with a big loss against the now no. 20-ranked Colorado Lady Buffaloes.

Chemistry issues could`ve caused several upsets (specifically with Reese having missed some games without any explanation from head coach Kim Mulkey), among a lot of other things. But if this LSU team is going to repeat as champions, they need to continuously play together and trust one another--more so in the biggest moments.

#2 Reese`s poor three-point shooting skills this season

Angel Reese can score from almost anywhere on the floor. But put her on the three-point line, and you can basically give her the Ben Simmons treatment. She`s been quite a rusty shooter from beyond the arc her entire career, and teams could easily just shrink the floor and completely sag off her on the perimeter.

Granted, Reese doesn`t shoot a lot of threes. But it`s still a glaring weakness in her game that teams could take advantage of every time down the floor.

#3 LSU has been inconsistent with its defense

Kim Mulkey`s biggest concern about her team has always been their defense, and she`d be right. Their biggest upsets of the year against Colorado and Auburn showed how they allowed their opponents to basically score at will against them.

This once again could go back to the team`s chemistry issues, as defense is all about communication. They struggle to talk about their rotations and defensive assignments on the floor, and when they do connect, it`s often too late.

They can`t just keep relying on their offense to win--there will always be games when even the easiest baskets just won`t fall.

#4 LSU's sub-par depth has been a concern

Outside of their starting five, the LSU Tigers really have nothing excellent going on with their second or third units. Whenever Reese, Morrow, Van Lith, and everyone else who could individually create an impact are not on the floor, they`re just like any other team.

As of this writing, Mulkey`s rotation is only around seven players deep. This would lead to the main folks playing too many minutes, which could wreak havoc on their bodies for the entire length of a deep March Madness run.

#5 Players with non-suitable roles

In Louisville, Hailey Van Lith was a clearly generational hoops talent in terms of scoring--not as blistering as someone like Caitlin Clark, but she can light up the scoreboard in a hurry. That`s now changed and she`s currently playing the role of facilitator on an offense that already has an individual dynamo.

She`s the leading passer on a team that doesn`t assist much on their baskets, and that`s another glaring weakness. When all else fails, LSU goes off-ball and just hopes for the best.

Hero ball won`t be as consistent as a fluid, pass-heavy offense that relies on ball and player movement to get good shots.

Not to mention, Van Lith`s assist-to-turnover ratio is sub-par for someone of her caliber.