Last season, the LSU women’s basketball team flew down to The Bahamas the week of Thanksgiving to play two power-conference teams. One of them was ranked.

This year, the No. 5 Tigers (6-0) won’t be challenged the same way. They’re competing in the Paradise Jam Tournament on the U.S. Virgin Islands this week. On Friday, they’ll face Marist for a chance to play either Miami-Ohio or a winless Washington State team from the zombie Pac-12 on Saturday.

LSU doesn’t play a particularly difficult nonconference schedule. It never has, at least not since coach Kim Mulkey took over the program in 2021.

But this season, the Tigers have given themselves an especially lighter prelude to SEC play. Preseason No. 7 Duke is the only power-conference team on the slate, and it’s already suffered three

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