It’s a double victory for LSU! For the Tigers’ head coach Kim Mulkey, the days of finishing one game and immediately diving into preparations for the next are long gone. It’s not that her drive to win has faded, but now she has assistants she completely trusts to handle the scouting. So, who makes the biggest difference?
It’s her incredible roster each season. “It’s just coaching good players,” Mulkey expressed. “Throughout my career, I’ve been blessed to coach players who believe in our system and what we do. Coming to LSU is no different than when I was at Baylor for 20-plus years. Kids have to believe in you and let you coach them. All those wins belong to them.”
It was clear at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center when the buzzer sounded, marking Kim Mulkey’s 100th win. But the triumph didn’t stop there—by achieving her 100th win, Mulkey became the fastest coach to reach this milestone in LSU’s program history. Thanks to the combined efforts of the LSU roster, they secured a stunning 131-44 victory over North Carolina.
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Star junior Flau’Jae Johnson was impressive with 22 points, four blocks, and a steal, while Aneesah Morrow tallied 17 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, marking her eighth double-double of the season. Additionally, seven other players on the roster hit double figures. In fact, Kailyn Gilbert, a recent transfer guard, dominated with a season-high 19 points and four steals. A roster to make Mulkey proud indeed.
Now, LSU has had two wins of at least 80 points in the past two seasons, a feat not accomplished since 2002.
Kim Mulkey noted that the contributions are not one-sided
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Under Mulkey, LSU has now won six games by at least 70 points. She is among the three coaches who have led LSU to 100 wins, achieving this milestone in just 114 games—13 games fewer than it took Coach Sue Gunter to reach the same number. Mulkey has now notched 732 career victories as a head coach.
To celebrate this big win for one of the best head coaches, LSU’s roster came together to honor Mulkey’s achievement. They presented her with a bouquet of 100 white roses for her 100 wins. Impressive, but not surprising—Mulkey has proven her worth with a national title in her second year at LSU and now 100 wins.
In September, Mulkey secured a lucrative $32 million deal over 10 years, becoming the highest-paid coach in women’s basketball history. It remains to be seen how much longer she will continue coaching before deciding to retire, but this recent achievement is yet another milestone in her Hall of Fame-worthy career.
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Then again, she’s already in both the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Kim Mulkey's 100th win—Is it her coaching genius or the players' belief that makes LSU unstoppable?
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Kim Mulkey's 100th win—Is it her coaching genius or the players' belief that makes LSU unstoppable?
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