Right after LSU’s heartbreaking 79–72 loss to South Carolina in the 2024 SEC Tournament Championship, head coach Kim Mulkey remained defiant and confident in her team’s potential. Despite falling short against Dawn Staley’s undefeated Gamecocks, Mulkey expressed unwavering belief that the Tigers were still in prime position to make a deep NCAA Tournament run.
During the postgame press conference on March 10, 2024, Mulkey praised her players’ effort and mindset, calling them “champions” even in defeat.
“They did exactly what I thought they would do. I got some champions out there… We’re in a good spot. Angel is right, we’re playing some pretty good basketball right now, and that’s just the God’s truth,” Mulkey said. “They got a lot of depth. One kid basically hurt us today, and that was [Milaysia] Fulwiley. You look at the stats, how can you not leave here and go, ‘God, I wish that the playoffs started next week.’ But we’ll have everybody back.”
Mulkey made it clear that her squad was healthy and ready for the NCAA tournament, even making light of the media’s injury concerns.
“Everybody’s good to go. So the NCAA, you don’t need to call me and ask if Mikaylah Williams is good. You don’t need to ask me if Angel Reese is good. You don’t need to ask me about [Last-Tear] Poa; she’s only in concussion protocol,” she said. “We are playing our best basketball. Congratulations to South Carolina. They made plays when we would cut the lead. Turnovers killed us today. Turnovers. And it was very, very physical.”
While Mulkey’s comments showed her trademark fire and confidence, the Tigers’ journey in the 2024 NCAA Tournament ended earlier than they hoped. In a highly anticipated Elite Eight showdown, LSU fell to Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes, 94–87, officially ending their title defense.
The loss marked a tough close to a season filled with highs and heartbreaks, but Mulkey’s belief in her players — especially stars like Angel Reese, Mikaylah Williams, and Flau’jae Johnson — signaled that LSU wasn’t going anywhere. The Tigers may have fallen short of repeating as champions, but their head coach made one thing clear: they’re still built to win big.
