Another game and another unwanted record for Kim Mulkey as her horrible streak continues against Dawn Staley. In front of 13,200 fans, South Carolina beat LSU 79-72 in Baton Rouge. That’s 18 straight losses to Dawn Staley’s team since 2012. This is the most times that any SEC school has beaten Mulkey at LSU.
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Mulkey’s post-game comments zeroed in on one player who impressed her: freshman guard Bella Hines. “I saw a kid who I need to play more. She needs to take away some of the minutes of some of them, because she got out there and guarded Tessa (Johnson). She wasn’t afraid to stand up to her. She made shots, she had a lot of energy and effort, and she has my respect,” Mulkey said of Hines.
Tessa Johnson and Raven Johnson scored 40 points, which was more than half of South Carolina’s total. Besides making roster changes, Mulkey gave a harsh evaluation of the overall performance that led to the loss. “When you look at the stat sheet, I can’t be too critical of many things,” Kim Mulkey said. “We didn’t turn it over much, we out-rebounded them, we got to the foul line more than them…we still had a chance to win the ball game.”
Numbers can’t fully explain the story of 18 straight losses to South Carolina. LSU (22-4, 8-4 SEC) did get a few aspects like controlling rebounds, limiting turnovers, and getting to the free-throw line right. But missing 9 of 23 free throws hurt them. Fulwiley, Knox, and Flau’jae Johnson all missed crucial shots down the stretch. Flau’jae, a senior, led LSU with 21 points and eight rebounds, and Williams added 11.
Since Mulkey came to Baton Rouge for the 2021–22 season, she has lost six times in a row to South Carolina, going 0-6 against Staley. The current 18-game losing streak started on January 12, 2012, when LSU beat them 58-48 in Baton Rouge. That win seems like a long time ago now.
Despite her own critique, Mulkey would not tolerate external criticism directed at her players
Mulkey defends Flau’jae Johnson after the loss
After the final buzzer, Kim Mulkey went straight to the microphone to protect her star player from unfair criticism. Flau’jae Johnson had just scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a loss, but the story was about two missed free throws in the last 45 seconds.
“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. That’s where the game was lost. Take your free throws. You win,” added Mulkey while defending Johnson.
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The loss weighed heavily on Johnson. “Missing those two free throws, thinking about the things I did, I could have done better defensively,” Johnson said, visibly emotional after the loss to the Gamecocks.
What Mulkey said was true, but South Carolina’s strong defense made the loss even worse. The second-ranked South Carolina team held LSU to only 29.9% shooting, which made it even harder for LSU to make free throws. Johnson’s 2-for-6 shooting from the line showed how bad the whole team was at shooting. But her 21 points and eight rebounds showed that she can still help LSU in tight spots. Johnson needs to be consistent with his free throws and keep playing aggressively inside. These are two things that could make a big difference in future games against top teams.