Kim Mulkey is again set to repeat her 2023 heroics. As the Christmas fever is on worldwide, the LSU Tigers pound their sweat and blood, registering their 14th win of the season and maintaining their unbeaten streak. The Lady Tigers are at the top of the SEC as the team seems unlikely to be defeated by the end of this year. Despite a convincing 91-73 win over UIC with the help of stars like Flau’jae Johnson, Aneesah Morrow, and Mikaylah Williams, Kim Mulkey pointed out the shortcomings of the Tigers in the post-game interview.

Kim Mulkey stated; “Defense, we gotta get better defensively. We don’t defend like it matters, we defend like we’re better than you and we’re gonna outscore you and that just bothers me.”

LSU Tigers have been really good on the offense. However, just like most seasons, their defense is worrisome for the Hall of Famer head coach. LSU allowed Illinois-Chicago to shoot over 40% from the field, a stat that didn’t sit well with Mulkey. Acknowledging the lack of defense throughout the game, the HC made it clear she expects more from her team on that side of the court.

“You work on it when you get back from the holidays. You work on it, you make it important. You have all of them buy into it, get in a stance and we’ve got to get back to being a better defensive team. They shot 40 percent from the field, you’re not going to win many games when teams do that.”

Mulkey’s teams at Baylor and LSU have always taken pride in their defense and rebounding, but this season, she’s still working to strengthen those areas. Last year, Angel Reese’s immaculate work on the glass kept many opponents on their toes.

Despite the areas still needing work, Aneesah Morrow continues to step up and deliver remarkable performances. In her homecoming game, she once again proved why she’s such a crucial leader for LSU.

Morrow shines in homecoming

Aneesah Morrow marked her homecoming with an impressive performance, recording her 12th double-double of the season just before the Tigers headed into their holiday break.

Morrow’s 86th career double-double, now the sixth most in Division I history, surpassing Chiney Ogwumike’s 85 double-doubles with Stanford. The Chicago native had a well-rounded performance, finishing with 19 points, 13 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists, and 2 blocks in the win.

“I always tell my teammates that I want them to always know they can depend on me to show up every night,” Morrow stated post-game “That’s my mindset going into every game that my teammates are going to be able to depend on me to score, and if I’m not scoring I need to do something else.”

Earlier in the day, Morrow returned to her roots at Simeon Career Academy, where she made history as the school’s first women’s basketball player to have her jersey retired. She had led the team to its first-ever City and State Championships, leaving a lasting legacy.

“It was a great experience, I teared up a little bit. It was a little bit of deja vu. Just being able to see how much of an impact I’ve made was amazing.”

As LSU heads into the holiday break with a perfect record, Kim Mulkey knows there’s still work to be done. While the Tigers’ offensive firepower, fueled by stars like Aneesah Morrow, has been impressive, Mulkey remains focused on sharpening the team’s defense. Improving that aspect of their game could be the key to making LSU not just good, but truly unstoppable this season.