A game that was supposed to be a Colosseum battle to surge SEC dominance truly lived up to its expectations. Saturday’s premier matchup, LSU vs South Carolina, culminated in an intense back-and-forth contest, with the Gamecocks eventually edging out the Tigers, 72-79.

However, unsurprisingly (when it’s a Kim Mulkey vs. Dawn Staley matchup, you know the intensity is going to be high), it was a sideline tussle that drew most of the spotlight.

The tensions arose in the dying minutes of the third quarter, when Mulkey called a timeout after a personal foul call on Bella Hines. Referee Kyle Bacon was initially reluctant to award the timeout to the Tigers, but eventually allowed it after a few seconds. But in those split seconds, Mulkey absolutely lost it on Bacon on the sidelines and got into an aggressive exchange with him.

The Tigers’ coaching staff and entourage members stepped in quickly and held her back, preventing the matter from escalating further and avoiding a technical foul or ejection for Mulkey. But even as she was being restrained, Mulkey didn’t hesitate to lock eyes with the official, visibly fuming, and said, “That f—-r cost me a Final Four!”

For those looking for context, this moment seemed to take Mulkey all the way back to 2016, when her Baylor Bears fell to Oregon State in the Elite Eight. Even in that game, the head coach had been frustrated with the officiating from the opening quarter, and the tension finally boiled over in the second when she had her now-infamous jacket-toss moment.

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And guess who was on the officiating crew that night? Yes, Kyle Bacon.

But coming back to this game, the stakes might not have been nearly as high. Still, for Kim Mulkey, the outcome felt familiar, and so did her frustration with the officiating.

Her outbursts at the referees continued throughout the game. In one instance, she also got into a heated exchange with referee Fatou Cissoko-Stephens over a decision. And while the referees felt the heat from Mulkey, the LSU head coach didn’t spare her players either.

During a timeout, she was seen lashing out at them, asking, “Who can guard Tessa?” Mulkey’s frustration with her team for Tessa Johnson was quite valid. The Gamecocks guard was, to a certain extent, unguardable at Baton Rouge, scoring a game-high 21 points, shooting 8 of 13 from the field and 4 of 5 from the perimeter.

Her 11 points, including three precise shots from the three-point line, in the second quarter, initially turned the game in South Carolina’s favor, after LSU led most of the period since tipoff. On the contrary, Mulkey’s team struggled in perimeter shooting, scoring just two three-pointers in the entire game. Flau’jae Johnson continued her impressive run with 21 points, but lacked support from the other players.

Given the situation, Mulkey’s emotions were hardly surprising. Being one of the most intense coaches in women’s college basketball, the reaction felt expected, especially with LSU trying to get past the Gamecocks for the first time since the 2012-13 season.

However, her aggressive tone toward the referees on the sidelines didn’t overwhelm the fans.

Kim Mulkey in the Firing Line for Her Approach Toward Officials

“Only she could get away with these antics! The refs are scared of her,” a fan wrote.

“If Kim Mulkey was any other coach, she would’ve been tossed alredy,” remarked another.

Heated altercations in women’s college basketball are quite natural in the current spectrum. Coaches spanning from Vic Schaefer to Dawn Staley are regular suspects in such instances. Yet despite that, Kim Mulkey’s name stands at the top with a long list of her feud with officials. For instance, in the 2023 NCAA Championship game against Iowa, she even had contact with the officials, resulting in immense criticism.

But guess what the conclusion of her action in the game was? Neither an automatic ejection nor a warning.

Contrary to this latest controversy, though, there have been instances when Mulkey has faced consequences for her behavior. Back in 2023, she was ejected during a game against Northwestern. And earlier, in 2013, the NCAA suspended Mulkey for one tournament game and reprimanded her for publicly criticizing officials while she was at Baylor.

But as the comments suggest, there have also been occasions when the LSU head coach has escaped without much action from the referees.

“She is nothing but a show the dramatic loud clothes attention seeker clown,” chimed in another.

Mulkey’s style statement on the sidelines, with her lavish outfits, defines her personality. From time to time, she makes her fashion choices as bold as her coaching. But her frequent run-ins with referees haven’t exactly helped that image.

Notably, the officials involved in the South Carolina-LSU game, Kyle Bacon and Fatou-Cissoko Stephens, are among the most experienced in the game and officiated Final Four matchups at the 2025 national championships. Fans acknowledge that her outbursts often reflect her passion for the game and competitive drive. At the same time, many believe her exchanges with officials can cross the line at times, a sentiment echoed in several reactions to the incident.

“😂 LSU so sad. Go Gamecocks. Beat it. Kim made a mistake 🤣,” wrote another taunting Mulkey. “I’m convinced that the assistant coach is just there to hold Mulkey back,” said another.

To credit assistant coach Gary Redus, he did well to step in and help prevent the situation from escalating into a technical foul for Mulkey. But it isn’t the same for her record against Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks.

In her tenure as LSU’s head coach, Mulkey has been handed a defeat every time against them. While this stat might get blurred amid her off-court nuances, it quietly signifies that Staley has out-managed her prominently.

Moreover, an interesting stat from the game shows that LSU actually committed fewer fouls than South Carolina, 14 compared to Staley’s team’s 20. However, as Mulkey acknowledged, the game was ultimately lost at the free-throw line.

Foul trouble didn’t define the game, but missed opportunities did. Down 73–72 with 45 seconds left, Big 4 missed two crucial free throws, which USC capitalized on to pull away for the win. “What a blessing it is to have her. Now, you will focus on those last two free throws. We missed nine. There’s your difference in the ball game. Look at the stat sheet. We scored the same number of field goals, we out-rebounded them by nine, we were 14 for 23 from the foul line,” the HC  said. “That’s where the game was lost.”

Yet despite the defeat,  Kim Mulkey’s team is in a comfortable spot for the National Championship. They are 22-4 and 8-4 in the season for now. Still, this loss against the Gamcocks would sting Mulkey and her team, especially given the hype and attention it generated.

For now, the Tigers will turn their focus to another ranked team, No. 14 Ole Miss, scheduled on February 19.