Kim Mulkey and LSU are in trouble; if they’re not careful, things could unravel quickly.
Days before LSU lost to South Carolina, they lost to an unranked Auburn team. A 16-game winning streak was gone, and head coach Kim Mulkey and her basketball team were left to pick up the pieces. The team won their next two games before running into the brick wall that is Dawn Staley and her young squad.
South Carolina battled back during the second half of that January 25 matchup, stunning LSU. Once Angel Reese fouled out with just over four minutes remaining, Mulkey and LSU never adjusted. Bree Hall made them pay with two colossal clutch 3-point buckets, and that was the ball game.
On Monday, LSU lost again to a sneaky good Mississippi State team shooting lights out. During postgame media availability, Mulkey wondered why her team has been struggling to pull it together.
"We can't seem to defensively get stops with this team, when they matter. That's how we lost the South Carolina game."@LSUwbkb @KimMulkey following No. 9 #LSU 77-73 upset loss at Mississippi State.
Watch complete press conference – https://t.co/2g6NGJGSbA @WAFB pic.twitter.com/5HAZzUqdnm
— Jacques Doucet (@JacquesDoucet) January 30, 2024
Kim Mulkey is here for postgame.
"I always think players are going to play all out at home in a sell out."
"We can't seem to defensively get stops with this team when they matter. We saw that in the South Carolina game."#LSU
— Cory Diaz (@ByCoryDiaz) January 30, 2024
So, with many stunning losses — Colorado, Auburn, South Carolina, Mississippi State — the question begs: Is it time to hit the panic button on Kim Mulkey and LSU?
Truthfully, no. Fans should back away from the button.
The team is still talented and has plenty of ballers plus depth players — Angel Reese, Flau’Jaue Johnson, Aneesah Morrow, Hailey Van Lith, Mikayla Williams, Aalyah Del Rosario, and Last-Tear Poa, to name a few — that can help LSU make it deep into the NCAA Tournament.
With eight games remaining against unranked teams, LSU can end the season on a high note. If they can tighten up their defense and rally behind their championship pedigree experience, they can do something special.
As Angel Reese told the team earlier in January, “Talent wins games, but teamwork wins championships.”