The defending champion LSU Tigers entered their 2023 season with sky-high expectations of a repeat. With a superstar like Angel Reese already in tow, the addition of Hailey Van Lith to the squad had a lot of people calling the Tigers a “superteam” of sorts. They were supposed to run roughshod on the entire college basketball slate.
About that.
On Monday night, the defending champs lost a 92-78 laugher to No. 20 Colorado. It got so bad for LSU that a seemingly disgruntled Kim Mulkey wore her emotions on her sleeve courtside. Ah, but that’s not all. Before the game even began, Van Lith talked about what matchups she was looking forward to other than the one against Colorado. She proceeded to say, “Everyone [on LSU’s schedule] gets free smoke,” as if it’s a foregone conclusion the Tigers would win everything.
Needless to say, with the defeat to the Buffaloes, these comments aged like spoiled milk.
We know @LSUwbkb is about to face Colorado but @haileyvanlith said anyone can get it. Heardddd 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/LpcBqMbB3x
— Arielle (Ari) Chambers (@ariivory) November 6, 2023
To be fair to Van Lith, it’s not as if there are any world-beaters on LSU’s upcoming schedule. With a docket featuring “powerhouses” like Mississippi Valley State and Texas Southern, Van Lith’s confidence was probably justified in that sense. But to look ahead and then take a stunning loss to another good team like Colorado is almost poetic.