The moment the SEC schedule dropped, one date glowed brighter than the rest: February 14, 2026, at 8:30 p.m. ET. Why? Because it’s not just another game. It’s Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers vs. Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks. While not an official rivalry, any matchup between the SEC’s best always carries extra weight. But now, many would say it’s officially personal. After all, Mulkey snatched one straight from Staley’s Daycare. And little did SC HC know, that won’t be the last time.

When MiLaysia Fulwiley packed her bags and left South Carolina for LSU, the college basketball world gasped. It was one of the biggest offseason shockers, a move that flipped the SEC narrative on its head. The 5-foot-10 guard had been a spark plug for the Gamecocks, averaging 11.7 points per game off the bench. And while Staley might be over it by now, Mulkey clearly isn’t done making statements.

After pulling in the nation’s top recruiting class in 2025, Mulkey’s already setting the tone for 2026 and her latest addition proves it.

Lola Lampley, the No. 29 recruit in the girls’ SC Next 100 Class of 2026, has officially committed to LSU! The 6-foot-2 wing originally had a different top five — Florida State, UCLA, Duke, Mississippi State, and NC State — but once LSU, South Carolina, and Tennessee entered the picture, the game changed. Lampley took her official visit to Baton Rouge in early October, and that was all it took. She canceled the rest of her visits and made her announcement on Friday, Oct. 31.

You must know that Mulkey and her staff had been tracking Lampley closely during the travel ball circuit this offseason and for good reason. The Indiana native, ranked No. 5 among shooting guards in her class, is known for her elite length, versatility, and perimeter defense. But above all, she’s a learner.

“There is an opportunity to learn from a legend (head coach Kim Mulkey) and a Hall of Famer (assistant coach Seimone Augustus) and also play for a competitive program that can compete for a national championship,” Lampley shared.

Currently wrapping up her senior year at Lawrence Central High School in Indiana, Lampley averaged 12 points, a career-high 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals as a junior while shooting 38% from the field. Add to that her gold medals with USA Basketball’s U16 and U17 teams, and it’s clear why Mulkey couldn’t resist.

And this might just be the beginning. With Lampley as LSU’s first 2026 commit, Mulkey’s next target is already in sight, Jerzy Robinson. For now, though, Mulkey must be thrilled. She needed a news like this, especially after she was “heartbroken” over what went down recently.

Kim Mulkey’s silent protest spoke louder than words

The LSU women were cruising to a blowout win, the kind of dominant showing Kim Mulkey usually celebrates with full-throttle energy. But on this night, something was different. As the Tigers demolished Langston 121–41, Mulkey sat quietly on the bench, her expression heavy, almost distant. 

Turns out, it wasn’t about the game at all. It was a silent protest.

Just hours earlier, LSU athletic director Scott Woodward, the man who brought Mulkey to LSU, had been ousted. And while the program might be used to change, this one hit her differently. “She’s heartbroken,” assistant coach Bob Starkey revealed after the game, as Mulkey skipped her postgame press conference.

Woodward wasn’t just another administrator to Mulkey. He was the architect behind one of LSU’s greatest turnarounds. It was his bold move in 2021 that convinced Mulkey to leave Baylor for Baton Rouge, and his decision in 2023 that secured her with a record-breaking 10-year, $32 million deal.

The shake-up came after Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry announced that Woodward would not be involved in selecting a successor to former football coach Brian Kelly, who was fired Sunday night. Instead, LSU’s board of supervisors will form a new committee.

For Mulkey, though, she’d lost not just a colleague, but a trusted ally who had believed in her vision from day one. So, the reaction was quite understandable.