JOURNAL SPORTS
BATON ROUGE – Benton High product Emily Ward ended her LSU women’s basketball playing days visiting the White House after she helped Kim Mulkey’s squad win the 2023 national championship.
Now Ward will be making arrangements for trips like that. She’ll coordinate the program’s travel plans and plenty of other duties as the Tigers’ director of basketball operations. Mulkey announced Ward’s hiring Friday afternoon.
“Her experience as a national champion and as a team captain during her playing career will be instrumental in her new role. We’re fortunate to have Emily return to our family, and I can’t wait to see her shine in this position,” said Mulkey.
Ward, a native of Bossier City, joins Mulkey’s staff after playing at LSU for four seasons (2019-23). Ward began her time in Baton Rouge as a preferred walk-on and closed her playing career as a fan favorite and team captain during the Tigers’ national championship season. She was awarded a scholarship during shootaround prior to LSU’s first game of the championship season on Nov. 7, 2022.
After hanging up her jersey and visiting the White House, Ward never really departed the LSU program, maintaining close ties. She worked on the LSU Athletics communications staff, including some appearances as the analyst on the game broadcasts of the Tigers’ games.
Ward graduated from LSU in mass communication with a concentration in digital advertising in December 2022. She minored in business while working toward her undergraduate degree. Ward earned a master’s of science in human leadership and human resource development in May 2024.
She has also worked as the Director of Business Development for Louisiana Economic Development, based in Baton Rouge. Primarily, she led initiatives to attract domestic and international companies to invest and expand in the state of Louisiana.
“Growing up in Louisiana, I always dreamed of wearing purple and gold and playing for LSU,” Ward said. “That dream became my reality. I was proud to wear this jersey, represent my home state, and serve as a captain on LSU’s first national championship team. My time here shaped every part of who I am – not just as a basketball player, but as a person and a leader.
“Playing for Coach Mulkey pushed me to become the best version of myself. She believed in me, challenged me, and taught me what it means to lead with intensity, discipline, and heart. Not many people can say they played for a Hall of Fame coach, and now I’m honored to say I get to work with her, too.”
Ward’s role with LSU’s athletics communications office involved filming and editing videos for the LSU women’s basketball social media accounts, clipping in-game highlights, and assisting in the organization of coach and player press conferences.
“To do it all at LSU,” Ward said in Friday’s announcement, “the school I’ve loved my whole life, surrounded by the best coaches, players, and fans in the country, is more than a full-circle moment. It’s another dream come true!”
Ward scored 2,442 points and snagged 1,701 rebounds during her career at Benton. She was a USA Today selection for the All-USA Louisiana team as a junior and a senior, leading the Lady Tigers to the state finals in her senior season after reaching the semifinals a year earlier.