Kim Mulkey and Co. finally know their roadmap to glory. They are vying for their first National Championship since 2023. In the announced NCAA Tournament bracket at the Selection Sunday, LSU is the No. 2 seed in Sacramento Regional 2. Mulkey’s path to the championship game goes through two unfamiliar first stages.

The Tigers will play No. 15 Jacksonville on March 20 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. A win in the first round would see LSU advance to the second round, where it would match up with the winner of No. 7 Texas Tech  and No. 10 Villanova on March 22. However, Mulkey had little idea regarding the coaches of her potential opponents when the brackets were announced. 

“I’m familiar with, obviously, Krista, the coach at Texas Tech. She was a great player there,” Mulkey said in the press conference. “If you all remember, she played with Sheryl Swoops and won a national championship for Marcia Sharp. I don’t know the coach at Villanova and don’t know Jacksonville.”

Mulkey even asked the media for the records for Jacksonville and their conference opponents. And it’s not without reason, the Dolphins are dancing for just the second time in their program history. Under Special Jennings, they stomped their way to the Atlantic Sun conference title. With a 24-8 overall and 13-5 conference record, they lost the regular season title to Eastern Kentucky. 

Ideally, LSU should take care of their first-round foes rather easily. They have the third-best offense in the country (per Barttorvik) with multiple weapons like Flau’jae Johnson, MiLaysia Fulwiley, and Mikaylah Williams. Mulkey also has Grace Knox and Kate Koval coming off the bench.

Texas Tech naturally is LSU’s biggest threat in the early rounds. They finished 25th in the AP Poll and even beat No. 12 TCU and No. 15 Baylor. While Mulkey did not know much about her early opponents, she will be off to scout them almost immediately.

“It’ll be good to be back on the floor and know who we’re preparing for. The unknown is you’re not just preparing for Jacksonville,” Mulkey said. “You got to do your homework on the other two because should you win, you don’t know who you’re going to play. So, we’ll be prepared.”

Beyond the early three teams, LSU could be on a collision course with No. 3 Duke in the Sweet 16. That is assuming both can avoid any upsets on the way. The Tigers defeated the Blue Devils on the road in the nonconference game but this will be a completely different challenge. However, as she and the team prepare for the business end of the season, Mulkey has released a clear statement regarding what they have already achieved. 

Kim Mulkey Brings Notice To Their Historic 2025-26 Season 

LSU’s No. 2 seed is the highest of the Kim Mulkey era and the highest in the last 18 years. They have been the No. 3 seeds for the last 4 years. The last time they were this high was in 2008 under Van Chancellor and they reached the Final four that season. It was the team with Sylvia Fowles and Quianna Chaney lost to Candace Parker’s Tennessee. Cut to today, they are in the same position and Mulkey doesn’t want this to get lost in the chaos. 

“Well, I think it should be written,” She said. “This is our fifth year doing this, and this is the highest seed that we’ve ever had at LSU. If you couldn’t get a one seed, you’re the first two seed. That’s progress. That shows you’re heading up—the trajectory is up. The trajectory is already up when you won the national championship, but I think that needs to be written. I think it’s going to get lost in everything. It’s going to get lost in the fact that we’re playing UCLA for the third time in three years if we get to that point.”

It is a testament to how Mulkey has transformed the program. When Mulkey joined in 2021-22, LSU hadn’t made the tournament for 3 years. They hadn’t made it past the first round since 2013-14. Almost immediately, Mulkey changed their fortunes. Now, they have made the Final Four thrice, including a national championship. Only time will tell if Mulkey can add another  national title in that resume.