Winning a national championship is way more important than winning a conference title. For a coach like Kim Mulkey, the SEC Tournament is just a bridge between the regular season and the most important part of the season, the NCAA Tournament.
When LSU left for Greenville, South Carolina, the site of the SEC Tournament, they could have never imagined what would occur to them over a three-day period.
LSU All-American Angel Reese nearly suffered a significant injury to her ankle, Aneesah Morrow suffered a black eye, and Flau’Jae Johnson battled cramps.
SEC Freshman of the Year Mikaylah Williams did not play on Friday and Saturday because of a foot injury.
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Last-Tear Poa was taken off on a stretcher on Saturday night after banging her head on the court. She watched the championship game from the hotel room because of a concussion.
And then with about two minutes left to go in regulation of the tournament championship game, a major scuffle broke out between the top two teams in the SEC. Coach Kim Mulkey blames the referees for not taking control of the situation by calling fouls as two heavyweights in women’s basketball played a chippy game throughout.
“Do you realize there was only one foul called on each team with two minutes to play in the fourth quarter, are you kidding me? That might have created some of that,’ said Mulkey.
It came to a boiling point when Johnson committed an intentional foul on a South Carolina’s MiLaysia Fulwiley to prevent a breakaway. Johnson then shoved South Carolina’s Ashlyn Watkins, which led to South Carolina’s star player Kamilla Cardoso pushing Johnson to the ground.
“No one wants to see that ugliness, but I can tell you this, I wish she would have pushed Angel Reese, you’re 6-8, don’t push someone that little, that was uncalled for in my opinion,” said Mulkey.
South Carolina’s Dawn Staley had a different response.
“What you saw were two highly competitive teams trying to win a conference championship. And they did not handle it well. Our players didn’t, their players didn’t. I’ll take responsibility for what happened on our side of it.”
Both teams will have a chance to cool off. The first round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament is not until March 22nd.
While LSU leaves Greenville, South Carolina, without a trophy, the events of the tourney could result in a bonding experience that will lead the Lady Tigers back to the Final Four.
“It turned up and it went ways we didn’t want to go, but I’m proud of this team, we fought, we fought, we fought, with five maybe six healthy players if that, we are not scared, and we are in a place that I’m proud of and I’m happy with we’re at right now,” said Reese.
Mulkey also believes her team is playing some good basketball and she likes their toughness and resilience.
“They have each other’s back. Didn’t get rattled. Fought through some adversity with Poa’s injury (Saturday night) to get to this point.”
LSU will not be the favorites to win a second straight national championship when the brackets come out on March 17th. But none of the top seeds will want to see the Lady Tigers in their bracket.
This is a team that has gone through a lot, the suspension of its best player (Angel Reese), losing its top back-up guard (Kateri Poole), losing its top back-up post player (Sa’Myah Smith) to a season ending injury, and consistent criticism of point guard Hailey Van Lith.
The Lady Tigers do not have the deepest team, but they have each other’s backs and the strong belief they can win it again.