February hasn’t been that kind to Flau’jae Johnson so far. As a key component in the LSU Tigers’ success, it’s no secret that coach Kim Mulkey has been fairly dependent on the 21-year-old. However, as of late, an unnamed issue seems to have plagued Johnson…

Ahead of their clash against No. 3 ranked Texas Longhorns, the team listed her as questionable, with the reason for her Injury Report inclusion staying undisclosed. On Sunday, though, that designation was changed to “game-time decision”, while the player appeared for warm-ups with a sleeve on her lower left leg. What’s more? Even though the star ultimately took to the court, Mulkey didn’t seem to be in the mood to give her much time of day during the post-game press conference…

But before we tell you about that, the Tigers fell to their opponents 65-58 in a gritty battle. Despite a monster performance from Morrow, who dropped 15 points and grabbed 20 rebounds, Texas, led by Madison Booker’s 16 points, overcame a brutal shooting start to rally late, sealing the win with four clutch free throws in the final 24 seconds.

Morrow and Smith didn’t back down an inch. Despite not having the size, Smith brought the grit—blocking shots and holding her ground like a pro. Morrow? Same energy. She stood tall, showing everyone that toughness beats size any day. Together, they shut down Texas’ post-game, flipping the script on what everyone thought would be a Texas-dominated storyline. But foul trouble in the third quarter let Texas back in. The Longhorns scored eight of their last 10 points in the quarter from the free-throw line, staying within striking distance. Booker, who went 0-for-11 in the first half, found her rhythm late, hitting key shots and free throws to seal the win.

The SEC’s grueling schedule, as the coach noted, prepares teams for the intensity of March Madness. “It’s tough in this league,” she said, hinting that the battles now will pay off later. For LSU, the emergence of Morrow and Smith as reliable post presences could be the difference-maker when the stakes are highest.

Having said that, once the game ended, it was clear—Kim Mulkey’s focus was elsewhere. Instead of revealing much about Johnson, Mulkey decided to divert toward Aneesah Morrow and Sa’Myah Smith, who carried the Tigers in a grueling battle against Texas’ dominant frontcourt. During the post-game press conference, when a journalist couldn’t even complete his question, saying, “Coach…how healthy was Flau’jae, and just what was she…,” before the coach interjected him, and answered as briefly as possible, “She’s fine.”

However, when the media person asked, “Then the front court going up against Texas…how…”, the coach interrupted him again to defend her players, saying, “Everybody wanted to talk about Texas Post dominating our post. Would you say they dominated today? Our post battled. Morrow battled. I thought Sa’Myah Smith, coming back home…she’s from Texas. I thought she battled. She blocked shots. She doesn’t have a lot of the bulk, but buddy, she battled in there.”

Evidently, the praise was endless when it came to LSU’s post players. Morrow and Smith’s relentless effort against Texas’ towering frontcourt stole the show, proving that heart often outshines height. However, let’s go back to Johnson and Mulkey for a bit. Was the coach simply not wanting to divulge much information about Big Fo? Or is there a silent war waging in the locker room?

Well, we’re not sure yet, but looks like the coach might have been protecting her player’s privacy more than anything given how her injury report didn’t even mention the issue she’s seemingly battling. Also, who doesn’t remember when Kim heavily appreciated Flau’jae’s personality?

After the team’s 92-72 win over the Missouri Tigers led by Johnson in January last year, her head coach had said, “Flau’jae’s a hoot, isn’t she? That kid has more joy in her soul than anybody I’ve coached.” So, it’s highly unlikely that Kim Mulkey would even think of airing dirty laundry (if any) publicly before sorting out any potential differences with her player.

Having said that, Texas, meanwhile, continues to prove its resilience. With their 10th straight win and a perfect 21-of-21 from the free-throw line, the Longhorns are showing they can grind out victories even when the shots aren’t falling. Both teams are shaping up as forces to reckon with come March.

Kim Mulkey on LSU’s Loss: Missed Chances and Toughness Issues

Kim Mulkey didn’t sugarcoat things after LSU’s tough loss to Texas. The Tigers had their chances, but just couldn’t close it out. “We were in ballgames, had opportunities to, you know, possibly steal a victory, and we just didn’t get it done,” Mulkey said. One of the biggest issues? Execution down the stretch.

LSU struggled with inbound plays, leading to costly violations. Mulkey put that on her team’s ability to handle pressure in crunch time. “Call a timeout. Execute a play when you leave a timeout and go do it,” she said. That lack of execution along with some missed free throws made the difference in a low-scoring, hard-fought game.

She also took some responsibility for not subbing more on the perimeter. “I probably should have substituted more of my perimeter players throughout the game, and I didn’t. So that’s on me,” she admitted. Defensively, LSU did a solid job early, holding Texas to poor shooting in the first half. But things shifted in the second, especially with Texas’ Madison Booker heating up after scoring just two points in the first half. “We didn’t change anything… Ballers figure out a way to score,” Mulkey said.

Despite the loss, LSU’s post players battled and Mulkey acknowledged that. “Would you say they dominated today? Our post battled,” she said, pushing back on the idea that Texas’ frontcourt controlled the game.  At the end of the day, it came down to toughness in key moments. LSU fought, but Texas executed when it mattered most.