Five-Star Caroline Bradley Signs With LSU, Reveals Why She Never Had a Doubt

One of the nation's top women's basketball prospects is officially a LSU Tiger.

Five-star center Caroline Bradley of Oak Grove High School has officially signed with LSU during the NCAA early signing period, giving coach Kim Mulkey one of the nation's premier post players in the 2027 recruiting class.

The 6-foot-5 Bradley, regarded as the No. 1 center in her class, committed to LSU on April 6 and never wavered in her decision.

For the Louisiana native, signing with the Tigers represents more than an opportunity to compete for national championships. It's a chance to represent her home state while developing under one of college basketball's most accomplished coaches.

"It's an incredible feeling," Bradley told TigerBait ahead of signing day. "When I committed, there was no doubt in my mind. I was 100% committed. So now to put pen to paper and make it officially official, it's going to be a super cool feeling.

"I couldn't be more excited to become part of a family. I think it's bigger than basketball, and it's bigger than just the people in the locker room. You see the people of Louisiana show up time and time again to support, so I'm super excited to be part of that."

Bradley's decision provides LSU with another significant recruiting victory under Mulkey, whose relationship with Bradley and her family ultimately separated the Tigers from other programs.

"Coach Mulkey recruited me for a long time, and she knew relationships were a top priority for me," Bradley said. "She prioritized building a relationship with me and my whole family.

"To be from Louisiana, born and raised, and to have the opportunity to wear those three letters across your chest is something that can't really be described."

LSU Lands One of the Nation's Most Dominant Post Players

Bradley has established herself as one of Louisiana's most decorated high school basketball players, earning consecutive Gatorade Louisiana Girls Basketball Player of the Year honors.

As a sophomore, she averaged 21.8 points, 15.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.5 blocks per game.

She elevated her production during her junior season, averaging 27.0 points, 16.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 3.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per game.

Her performance earned her Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 2A Most Outstanding Player honors, along with MaxPreps Louisiana High School Girls Basketball Player of the Year recognition.

Bradley also became just the sixth girls basketball player in Louisiana history to win multiple Gatorade Player of the Year awards, joining an exclusive group that includes LSU legends Seimone Augustus and Mikaylah Williams, along with Whitney Jones, Theresa Plaisance and Cara Ursin.

💥 UNLOCK TIGERBAIT PREMIUM — 7 DAYS FOR JUST $1! 💥

Her success extends beyond high school basketball.

Bradley was a member of the gold-medal-winning USA Basketball U16 national team at the FIBA Americas Championship and has participated in the USA Basketball Junior National Team program.

Despite her impressive résumé, Bradley remains focused on expanding her game before arriving in Baton Rouge.

"For sure, my first-step quickness and being comfortable with the ball in my hands outside of the low post," Bradley said when asked about her developmental priorities.

"Just extending my game as much as I can, shooting the three and doing all those things that are going to make me effective in all parts of the game and not just in the low post."

Kim Mulkey's Track Record Made LSU the Right Choice

Few coaches have developed post players as successfully as Mulkey, whose résumé includes coaching Brittney Griner at Baylor and Angel Reese during LSU's 2023 national championship season.

That history played a significant role in Bradley's decision, particularly with aspirations of eventually playing professionally.

"Bottom line, I want to win, whatever that takes," Bradley said. "Coach Mulkey has won with some of the best post players in the game. I knew that if there was somewhere I wanted to go to develop as a big and win, it was LSU."

Bradley also pointed to Mulkey's demanding coaching style as something that excites her about joining the program.

"To be developed and challenged is a big deal," Bradley said. "I think if you ask anybody who steps foot in one of her practices or in her program, you're challenged each and every day to become not only a better athlete but a better person."

While LSU's winning tradition helped attract Bradley, visits to other programs ultimately reinforced her belief that Baton Rouge was where she belonged.

"I would say everywhere else I went made it clear to me that LSU was home," Bradley said.

"I took a bunch of visits in the fall, around fall break last year, and those visits showed me that LSU is where I wanted to be. LSU is where I wanted to call home."

Bradley has also received advice from LSU legend and assistant coach Seimone Augustus, who understands the expectations of being a highly touted Louisiana native playing for the Tigers.

"The big thing Coach Seimone Augustus emphasized is to enjoy it," Bradley said. "This is a rare opportunity. Even the people who come to LSU, a good majority of them aren't from Louisiana.

"She told me to soak that in because it's such a rare opportunity and such a rare impact that you get the opportunity to have."

Although Bradley will arrive with considerable expectations as a five-star recruit, she isn't allowing the pressure to change her approach.

"The level and stage at which I'm playing basketball changes, but the game doesn't change," Bradley said. "At the end of the day, it's still basketball. It's still the game I grew up playing and the game I love."

For LSU, Bradley's signing represents another major addition to the program's future. For Bradley, it's an opportunity to make her home state proud while competing for championships.

"The player they should expect to see is somebody who, at the end of the day, just wants to win, whatever that looks like for us as a whole," Bradley said. "Just a tough-nosed kid who's proud to be from Louisiana and who's going to work hard to make the state proud. I'm excited for the next chapter. Go Tigers!"