Tag: 2024 Women’s NCAA Tournament

LSU’s Kim Mulkey reveals postgame comments to Iowa’s Caitlin Clark: ‘I sure am glad you leaving’

Kim Mulkey seems to be relieved that Caitlin Clark is off to the WNBA.

LSU came up short in its hopes of returning to the Final Four in Monday night’s Elite Eight loss to Iowa.

In a rematch of last year’s national championship, which was won by the Tigers, the Hawkeyes ultimately got their revenge this time around in a 94-87 victory that propelled it into the national semifinal.

Caitlin Clark was the star of the show, per usual. With [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] guarding her most of the game, the Tigers had no answers as she dropped 41 points in a game Iowa controlled for most of the second half.

After the game, [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] was spotted talking to Clark in the handshake line, and after the game, she revealed her message for the likely top WNBA draft pick.

“I sure am glad you leaving,” Mulkey recalled saying. “I said, ‘Girl, you something else. I’ve never seen anything like it.'”

Mulkey also elaborated on the Tigers’ strategy in defending Clark, calling back to what she said before the game: You can’t stop her, you can only hope to contain her.

LSU clearly failed to do that.

“There’s not a lot of strategy,” Mulkey said. “You’ve got to guard her, nobody else seems to be able to guard her. We didn’t even guard her last year when we beat them. She’s just a generational player, and she just makes everybody around her better. That’s what the great ones do.”

Clark, like [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag], had the opportunity to return to college basketball next season. However, she announced last month that she would not remain at Iowa for a fifth season and will instead enter the draft, where she is projected to go first overall to the Indiana Fever.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

LSU’s Angel Reese details hate, ‘death threats’ she’s received in the last year after Iowa loss

Angel Reese opened up about the hate she has received during her time with the Tigers.

LSU’s hopes of repeating as national champions came to an end on Monday night with a 94-87 loss to Iowa in the Elite Eight in a rematch of last season’s title game.

It may have been the final game in a Tigers uniform for Angel Reese, who is a projected top pick in the WNBA draft but has the opportunity to return to LSU.

After the game, Reese took the chance to address criticism she has received from fans and media, stating that she has received death threats and hasn’t been truly happy since the team won the national title last year.

“I don’t really get to speak out on things just because I try to ignore,” Reese told reporters. “I just try to stand strong. I’ve been through so much. I’ve seen so much. I’ve been attacked so many times (with) death threats. I’ve been sexualized. I’ve been threatened. I’ve been so many things and I’ve stood strong every single time.

“I just try to stand strong for my teammates because I don’t want them to see me down and not be there for them. I just want them to always just know I’m still a human. All this has happened since I won the national championship. I said the other day, I haven’t been happy since then. And it sucks, but I still wouldn’t change. I wouldn’t change anything, and I’d still sit here and say that I’m unapologetically me.”

Reese’s teammates [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] and [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] also took the opportunity to defend Reese from what they perceived to be hate directed toward her.

Y’all do not get to her. Let me say it again. Y’all do not get to Angel Reese,” Van Lith said. “So you might want to throw the towel in because you’re wasting your energy.”

If this truly is the end of the road for Reese at LSU, it’s been quite a memorable two years for the Bayou Barbie.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

COLUMN: This year’s LSU women’s basketball team wasn’t equipped to play at the top of the sport

This LSU squad ultimately lacked the pieces that carried the team to a national title last season.

LSU’s championship hopes came crashing down after it ran into the force that is Caitlin Clark.

Iowa got off to a hot start before LSU managed to sustain a run of its own. It was reminiscent of the early run LSU went on in last year’s game, overwhelming Iowa with active defense and physicality in the post.

But then, [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] left the game with an ankle. She would return, but she wasn’t the same player that dominated the first quarter. Iowa took control in the second half and closed it out.

Reese’s ankle certainly played a factor and if she’s healthy, maybe LSU is advancing to the Final Four. But that’s not the reason LSU lost that game.

LSU’s going home because this team wasn’t capable of winning a title. That’s not an indictment of any individual, from Reese to [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag], but this team, as a whole, lacked something.

Last year’s team had all the right pieces. Think back to that 102-85 victory over Iowa in the national title. It wasn’t just Reese and [autotag]Flau’jae Johnson[/autotag]. The difference was [autotag]Jasmine Carson[/autotag] coming off the bench and hitting five threes. [autotag]Ladazhia Williams[/autotag] scored 20 points in the post. In the backcourt, [autotag]Alexis Morris[/autotag] scored 21 and [autotag]Kateri Poole[/autotag] went two for two from behind the arch.

But this year, when Reese went cold with the ankle, the supporting cast didn’t immediately answer the call. Johnson did eventually, with a strong second half, but it was too late. Iowa already seized momentum.

LSU had three chances this year to secure a win against one of the top teams in the sport. Two against South Carolina and again on Monday against Iowa. LSU was competitive but went 0-3 in those games. At some point, we just have to admit this team wasn’t equipped to play at the top of the sport this year.

Coming off the national title, LSU was favored to do it again. Returning Reese and Johnson along with the transfer additions of [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] and [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] led many to believe this team would be even better.

But as the year went on, cracks started to emerge. Poole was dismissed from the team while [autotag]Sa’Myah Smith[/autotag] tore her ACL. Van Lith struggled to transition to a true point guard role. Mulkey expressed frustration as LSU struggled to defend, play in transition and protect the ball.

LSU was upset by Colorado, Auburn and Mississippi State. Three solid teams, but all well below LSU’s talent level.

I said this team lacked something, but it’s hard to say what that exact something is. If LSU had a point guard like Morris out there, is that enough to push LSU over the edge?

That wouldn’t solve the inconsistency we saw from this team or the inability to keep up with Iowa’s three-point shooting.

This team had no glaring weakness, but it had enough. And put together, it was enough to end LSU’s year. The Iowa loss is disappointing, but there’s a reason LSU was an underdog to begin with.

The immediate future is unclear. Reese and Van Lith both face WNBA decisions while Mulkey is sure to look in the transfer portal for some help at guard and improved depth.

Still, it’s hard to not trust Mulkey after her first three years in Baton Rouge. LSU will be back.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Photos from LSU women’s basketball’s Elite Eight loss to Iowa

In a rematch of last year’s national title game, it wasn’t LSU’s night.

LSU’s hopes of repeating as women’s basketball national champions were dashed in the Elite Eight on Monday night against Iowa. With a 94-87 loss to the top seed in the region, its season came to an end.

The Tigers started the game well, leading at the end of the first quarter and taking a tie to the locker room. But the Hawkeyes dominated the second half as Caitlin Clark took control of the game, scoring 41 points.

It could very well have been Angel Reese’s last game with the Tigers, who finish the season at 31-6. Here are the photos from the loss in Albany.

LSU women’s basketball’s season ends in Elite Eight in rematch against Iowa

Iowa got its revenge on the Tigers on Monday night.

The LSU women’s basketball team couldn’t complete the repeat in 2024.

The Tigers fought throughout against top-seeded Iowa in the Elite Eight on Monday night, but an unstoppable outing from Caitlin Clark, who finished with 41 points, proved to be too much.

Coach Kim Mulkey’s team saw its season come to an end with a 94-87 loss to the Hawkeyes as it finished the season 31-6.

LSU found itself in an early hole, trailing by as many as nine points in the first quarter as Clark got off to a red-hot start. But she eventually cooled down despite finishing the first half with 19 points, and LSU managed to catch back up.

It finished the quarter on top by five, but the Hawkeyes made it difficult to extend that lead. Iowa ultimately managed to reclaim it in the final minute, but a contest layup at the buzzer from [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] tied it at 45 at halftime.

The second half did not start the way LSU wanted, however. Clark got hot again early in the third quarter, and the Hawkeyes stretched a double-digit lead at one point in the frame. Entering the final quarter, the Tigers had an 11-point deficit to make up.

While they continued to battle and outscored Iowa in the final quarter, they weren’t able to do it. Four Tigers scored in double figures with Johnson leading the way with 23 and [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] recording a 17-point, 20-rebound double-double in what could have been her final game at LSU.

But as a team, they shot just 39% from the field, which wasn’t enough against that Iowa attack. The Hawkeyes move on to face either UConn or USC in the Final Four.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Kim Mulkey on how LSU will deal with Iowa’s Caitlin Clark

Kim Mulkey said you can’t stop Caitlin Clark, you can only hope to contain her.

LSU punched its ticket to Elite Eight on Sunday with a 78-69 over UCLA. Later in the day, Caitlin Clark and Iowa punched a ticket of their own, setting up a much-anticipated rematch of last year’s national title game.

Despite winning 102-85, the Tigers still had trouble with Iowa star Caitlin Clark, who scored 30 and drained eight three-pointers.

“You’re not going to stop (Clark). You can only hope to contain her,” LSU head coach [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] said on Sunday.

Mulkey said [autotag]Alexis Morris[/autotag] was tasked with guarding Clark the majority of the time, but this year, expect more of a rotation.

“Each of us are a new team. We’re not the same team we were last year, nor are they, but you certainly have some key pieces,” Mulkey said.

“You can be very good defensively and she’ll still score on you. She’s that good,” Mulkey said of Clark.

In the NCAA Tournament, Clark is averaging 29.3 points per game along with 9.33 assists.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

LSU vs. Iowa Elite Eight Prediction and Pick: Can Tigers pull the upset?

LSU is a 1.5 point underdog to Iowa. Can the Tigers pull the upset?

After a year of speculation, we’re getting the rematch. [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] and LSU will face Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Elite Eight on Monday night with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

According to FanDuel, Iowa is a 1.5-point favorite, making LSU an underdog for just the third time this year. Both instances were against South Carolina and LSU went 0-2, but the Tigers were competitive in both games.

LSU passed its toughest test yet against UCLA, beating the Bruins 78-69. But Iowa, a top-three team in the country, poses a different challenge.

Despite Iowa being favored, LSU and Iowa have the same odds to win the region at +650.

I think Iowa is a good matchup for LSU. The Tigers proved that with their double-digit win last year and I think they’re peaking at the right time again this year.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”3012″ ]

Flau’Jae Johnson’s emergence has given LSU the offensive star power it needs to compete with Clark and the Tigers have the advantage in the post with Reese and [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag].

I like LSU to cover the spread in this one, winning 82-74.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder on rematch with LSU in Elite Eight

Before the heralded matchup, Lisa Bluder commented on how she felt going into this game compared to the first.

[autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] and the LSU Tigers have again made their way to the Elite Eight. This year, they have a matchup against the team they beat for the national title a year ago, the Iowa Hawkeyes. LSU beat UCLA in the Sweet 16 to make it to the Elite Eight, and the Hawkeyes beat Colorado to make it.

The two biggest stars in NCAA women’s basketball, [autotag]Caitlin Clark[/autotag] and [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] will go at it once more with a shot in the final four on the line. Before the heralded matchup, the Hawkeyes head coach, [autotag]Lisa Bluder[/autotag], commented on how she felt going into this game compared to the last.

“Yeah, we got run out of the gym last year,” Bluder said postgame, per On3. “So you know, it was pretty bad. But you know, honestly, we try to keep, just keep looking straight ahead and not listen to the outside noise and I think my team has done a good job of staying off social media. Try not to get caught up in that. I think when you get caught up in all that, now it takes your energy off the focus that you need at hand and that is to prepare for a really good LSU team. Nothing else matters.”

LSU and Iowa will tip off Monday at 6 p.m. CT.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Kim Mulkey takes aim at ‘sexist’ L.A. Times column after LSU’s Sweet 16 win

Kim Mulkey took exception to a recent column in the Los Angeles Times ahead of the Sweet 16 that she called “sexist.”

LSU clinched its spot in the Elite Eight on Saturday with a 78-69 seed upset over No. 2 UCLA, and the Tigers are now just three wins away from repeating as national champions.

After the win, though, coach Kim Mulkey took the opportunity to criticize a recent column in the Los Angeles Times from Ben Bolch that she deemed to be “sexist.”

“You can criticize coaches all you want,” Mulkey said. “That’s our business. You can come at us and say you’re the worst coach in America. I hate you, I hate everything about you. We expect that. It comes with the territory.

“But the one thing I’m not going to let you do, I’m not going to let you attack young people, and there were some things in this commentary that you should be offended by as women. It was so sexist, and they don’t even know it. It was good versus evil in that game today. Evil? Called us dirty debutantes? … Are you kidding me? I’m not going to let you talk about 18- to 21-year-old kids in that tone.”

Mulkey continued, criticizing Bolch for what she considered to be a sexist attack on her players.

“You women sit there and you keep your mouth shut if you want. But I’m in the last third of my career, I’m not going to let sexism continue,” Mulkey said. “And if you don’t think that’s sexism, then you’re in denial. How dare people attack kids like that. You don’t have to like the way we play. You don’t have to like the way we trash talk. You don’t have to like any of that. We’re good with that.

“But I can’t sit up here as a mother and a grandmother and a leader of young people and allow somebody to say that. Because guys, that’s wrong. I know sexism when I see it and I read it. That was awful.”

This was the opening of the L.A. Times column which Mulkey took particular issue with.

This isn’t just a basketball game, it’s a reckoning. Picking sides goes well beyond school allegiance.

Do you prefer America’s sweethearts or its dirty debutantes? Milk and cookies or Louisiana hot sauce?

LSU seems to have used “Louisiana hot sauce” as something of a rallying cry in the wake of the win.

LSU will move on to face Iowa in the Elite Eight in what will be a rematch of last year’s national title game on Monday night.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

LSU women’s basketball star Angel Reese says Tigers are ‘good villains’

Angel Reese leads a group of LSU players who embrace the villain role.

This LSU women’s basketball team can be polarizing. Figures like [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] and [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] have their fair share of defenders, but they have their critics too.

Reese acknowledged that after LSU’s Sweet 16 win over UCLA, saying “We’re the good villains.”

“Everybody wants to be LSU. Everybody wants to beat LSU,” Reese said.

Reese is the emotional leader of this team. You can see it in the way LSU plays with its physical and unapologetic style of basketball. Its paid off in big ways with LSU consistently showing up in big moments since Reese arrived at LSU.

Reese fouled out in the win over UCLA, but she made an impact, scoring 16 points with 11 rebounds and four steals.

Reese isn’t the only one on this team afraid to show personality. We see it from [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag], too, who shared a fun moment with Reese following the win.

LSU won 78-69 after tense second half. The Tigers now await the winner of Iowa and Colorado in the Elite Eight.