Louisiana’s head coach Kim Mulkey reacts to her team during the first half of action of their women’s basketball game in the SEC Tournament, against LSU at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Saturday, March 7, 2026.
Greenville
LSU women’s basketball and Kim Mulkey experienced some déjà vu Saturday.
Once again, the Tigers gave South Carolina and Dawn Staley a great game. But once again, LSU came out on the losing side. The Gamecocks beat the Tigers 83-77 in the SEC Tournament semifinals at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
It was LSU’s 19th straight loss to USC. The Tigers also dropped to 0-7 against South Carolina since Mulkey was hired as coach ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Here’s what Mulkey said about LSU’s loss postgame:
On not fouling while down 5 points with 45 seconds left
“We were supposed to. We had two fouls to give. It was not that decision, I can tell you. We were going to go trap. We didn’t do it. There’s just a small margin of error that you can have to beat elite teams.”
“We think we’re an elite team, but we’re not there to win those close games against the South Carolinas, the UConns. That margin of error are little things like that. We had two fouls to give, and, man, we were going to go for a steal right there, a quick trap. You don’t get it, use one of the fouls.”
“We just … I don’t want to say lose our composure, but we just don’t do it. So that’s why you stay in a locker room tonight: To teach. ‘You guys that were on the floor, tell me why we didn’t do that, OK?’ Tell me why when you come out of that timeout, we didn’t run this play. Just teaching moments on a big, big stage.”
On being 0-7 against USC at LSU
“How long has Dawn been at South Carolina? 18 years? I was at Baylor for 21 years. …. It takes time to lay a foundation. Man, she has laid a foundation, and, man, they are good.”
“I’ve been at LSU five years. We’ve won a national championship. We’ve been in numerous Elite Eights. It takes time. And, man, we are just clawing and trying our best. I think we’re doing pretty good. We’re so close. We’re so close.”
On another close loss to USC
“Look at the stat sheet, how similar. Look at the stat sheet. So what are those little things? Maybe that one last tough rebound. Maybe that one last tough defensive presence.”
“Those are things that don’t show up on the stat sheet, but those are the things that 18 years of being at South Carolina (will do) — and Raven (Johnson’s) a senior. (Taniya) Latson is a senior. Is (Madina) Okot a senior? That’s what you’re talking about, because they have that experience. They have that toughness. They don’t get rattled. That comes with time.”
“What’s the negative in today’s college athletic world? You don’t know who you’re going to coach next year. Man, you don’t know who’s transferring, who’s staying, who’s going. So it’s kind of tougher now than it was 10 or 15 years ago.”
On USC guard Raven Johnson
“She’s their leader. She not only scored from three, she had eight assists to one turnover. … She was the (SEC) defensive player of the year. She makes everyone better. … Nothing surprises me. Every year at USC, her role has stayed the same, but what she has to do on the court changes based on their personnel.”
On the depth of the SEC
“It’s definitely the toughest I’ve played in (this year), but I’ve only been in this league five years. I was in the Big 12 for 21 years. I’ve never seen anything this brutal — and that’s a good thing. That’s a great thing. In the SEC, you’ve got good coaches, commitments from administrators. … Wow, it’s tough.”
On former USC and current LSU G MiLaysia Fulwiley
“Someone asked the question about her (wanting to play well) being home. Of course, that question goes without saying. It would be like any kid who goes back home to play. She wants to do good.”
“The little added sugar to it is she’s playing against the team she left. So she wants to do good, and I thought she played her heart out. MiLaysia’s game is such that she’s going to do something you’ve never seen before on the floor. So don’t blink. Then she’s going to make you pull your hair out the next time.”
“I didn’t think she had just ‘pull your hair out’ moments tonight. She shot it, I’d say, OK (24 points on 10-21 shooting). … But she doesn’t really care about that tonight. What she cares about is she lost. She cares about her team losing and how good she played here. What does that really mean if you lose?”
On the SEC Tournament being in Greenville, about 2 hours from USC’s campus
“I think it’s great attendance. I think Greenville is a wonderful town. I think they’re committed to women’s basketball. Am I supposed to say something negative? I don’t like losing.”
This story was originally published March 7, 2026 at 7:51 PM.
Chapel Fowler, the NSMA’s 2024 South Carolina Sportswriter of the Year, has covered Clemson football and other topics for The State since summer 2022. His work’s also been honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors, the South Carolina Press Association and the North Carolina Press Association. He’s a Denver, N.C., native, a UNC-Chapel Hill alum and a pickup basketball enthusiast.
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