Kim Mulkey Rubbishes ‘Ailing Morale’ Claims Post Losing Two Games in a Row

The Louisiana State University Lady Tigers got two back-to-back shocks in their otherwise mostly victorious campaign. They were recently thumped by the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Mississippi State. While the Gamecocks defeated them at home, they lost to the Mississippi State at the Humphrey Coliseum. This seemed to be a cause of concern for fans and well-wishers promting a swift response from head coach Kim Mulkey.

Mulkey was recently asked a sensitive question in the press conference before the game against the Florida Gators. The 61-year-old was inquired if the aftermath of the humiliating defeats had any effect on the morale of the players. And Mulkey’s answer reflected how confident she was with her team.

What did Mulkey say?

A self-assured Mulkey dismissed the claims of the negative effect the defeats had on her players. “Oh? Are you talking about unfamiliar since we lost two in a row?… Coz i’ve been in this position many times,” quipped Mulkey. This reflects how sure she is of bouncing back. However, Mulkey didn’t stop there.

She expounded, “Well, I don’t know because it’s a different team. It’s not the same team as last year. I don’t know if Mikaylah Williams ever lost two in a row. I don’t know if Hailey Van Lith… I don’t know. I don’t view it that way. I view it as if somebody beats you… You make sure they do what they need to do to beat you and I feel like both teams did what they needed to do to beat us. And then you address what you didn’t do to win the game. Guys, we’re 17-4…” 

To which someone replied, “18-4.” After being corrected, Mulkey stated, “Oh, are we? See, I don’t even know. 18-4, one of the top teams in the country. It happens. We just go back to work and focus on the next game.”

The LSU are 18-4 in the regular season and have a 5-3 record in the conference. They are ranked at the 9th position in the AP women’s basketball polls and if they bounce back from here, they will surely make it to the NCAA tournament. As for their defeats, both of them have come after an ordinary defensive performance. 

The South Carolina Gamecocks had hammered the LSU in the fourth quarter with a 14-24 stat. Similarly, taking a leaf out of the Gamecocks’ strategy, the Mississippi State contained the LSU in the third quarter and smashed 28 points in that time limit.

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Unfortunately, the LSU couldn’t cover up the gap and hence lost both games, giving them a major setback. But Mulkey thinks otherwise and she might be right. Since she has vast head coaching experience of 24 years, Mulkey can easily steer away her team from deep waters if they take her advice. 

What advice did Mulkey give?

Mulkey had clearly pointed out her team’s woes post their unexpected loss to the Bulldogs. She had divulged that for her “this game was one that was not surprising.” Though, the LSU had the lead in the beginning, they completely ran out of their scripts and couldn’t “seem to get stops defensively when they matter.” And Mulkey might have worked on their woes leading up to the game against the Gators.

Hopefully, the LSU will bounce back in fashion and make an impact even in this season. Who knows if they get going, they might win the NCAA title for the second year in a row. Fans and will-wishers would be hoping that luck favors them in the coming games.

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