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South Carolina overtook LSU in today’s SEC championship title matchup, defeating them in a close 79-72 game. This is the 8th time that the Gamecocks have won the SEC title in 10 years, reflecting coach Dawn Staley’s vision as a guide who assembled a fresh team for the season that has remained undefeated and now secured its place in NCAA history.

However, the 4th quarter skirmish between Kamilla Cardoso and Flau’jae Jhonson took all the spotlight from their win, leading to some interesting insights from LSU coach Kim Mulkey after the game concluded. Let’s take a look at what her insights were on the mid-game brawl.

Kim Mulkey’s assertive comeback

In the post-game interview, LSU coach Kim Mulkey talked about Fla’jae Jhonson’s forceful encounter with the South Carolina Gamecocks. Mulkey said, “No one wants to be a part of that, no one wants to see to see that ugliness. But I can tell you this, I wish she would have pushed Angel Reese. Don’t push a kid. You’re 6’8” don’t push somebody that little. That was uncalled for in my opinion, let those two girls that were jawing, let them go at it,” indicating the trash talk that occurred between Fla’jae Jhonson and Ashlyn Watkins.

Mulkey’s reference towards Kamilla Cardoso pushing Angel Reese was because 6-foot-8 Cardoso picked  on 5-foot-10 Jhonson. Notably, trash talk is a part of the game, with players letting out their emotions on the court in a playful and non-direct way. However, the physicality initiated by Cardoso turned things into an ugly scuffle as she shoved Flau’jae to the floor while she was engaged in a trash talk with Watkins.

The incident stole all the spotlight and left every other detail of the game in the shadows. Notably, the Tigers were trailing in every quarter by 1 to 2 points, however, they performed with resilience. Like always Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow delivered double-double scores with 15 points and 13 rebounds from Reese and 19 points and 10 rebounds from Morrow respectively. Adding to that Flau’jae Jhonson scored 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Hailey Van Lith registered 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in the game.

On the Road to National Championship, Kim Mulkey Reflects on LSU’s Upcoming Elimination Re-Match Against Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gameocks

However, they lost the conference title and have a lot to take into account in terms of improvisations.

LSU’s way forward

As the Tigers have lost the SEC title, there is a lot to learn and understand for them to prepare better for the NCAA Tournament. However, they did seem to have issues with depth during the game with Last-Tear Poa out with concussion protocol and Mikaylah Williams playing for limited minutes.

Now, their ultimate goal is the NCAA tournament, so they must regroup and strategize both physically and mentally for the prestigious event. Meanwhile, coach Mulkey needs to emphasize and reinforce that championship mindset in her players. One of the major struggles LSU faced in the game was the turnovers, on which the Gamecocks capitalized and kept their lead throughout the game.

Surely, LSU is the kind of team that knows how to maintain confidence despite facing a loss. Interestingly, it will be a fans’ delight if they again face South Carolina in the NCAA Tournament. If that happens then it will be an opportunity for the Tigers to seek redemption as rivalry games serve as a major morale booster, bringing out the best in teams.