LSU caught in SEC “Dogfight” as Kim Mulkey Reveals Non-Negotiable Mission

No. 1 UCLA, No. 9 Ohio State, and No. 4 LSU women’s basketball. These are the last three squads standing undefeated. Kim Mulkey’s Tigers just clinched their 19th win, but indeed, staying undefeated is no cakewalk. Tight schedules, tough matchups, and the sheer grind of being in the SEC are enough to test even the strongest teams. Yet, for LSU head coach Kim Mulkey, the focus remains unshakable. “Win at all costs” is her mantra. 

When asked about managing her players’ workload during such a grueling season, Mulkey was clear as day, “You play to win. I’d love to play all of them. You don’t sit there in the middle of a game and go, ‘Oh, let me think about 10 games down the road or 12 games down the road.'”

“We are in a dogfight out here,” she asserted, referring to the SEC play. And she’s not kidding. Mulkey & Co. have been unstoppable and no.1 in the conference (4-0). However, at the same time, she has got a sharp eye on her team’s energy levels, too. While acknowledging that non-conference games gave her squad some breathing room, she added, “I kind of know when to pull back and not practice too hard.”

Winning may be non-negotiable for Mulkey, but she knows how to balance. And her strategy seems to be paying off big time.

LSU’s SEC journey has been full of thrill moments- good and bad. They kicked off their SEC run with a 98-64 victory over Arkansas. Flau’Jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow both dropped double-doubles. Mostly, their shooting outpaced Arkansas.  

Just days later, LSU faced Auburn, and it was Aneesah Morrow leading the charge again with 21 points and 14 rebounds. The Tigers secured a 73-63 win despite going 0-for-6 from beyond the arc—a first for them this season. The next one was a heart-stopper as they almost lost their streak.

But thankfully, the Lady Tigers edged out Tennessee 89-87 thanks to Kailyn Gilbert’s clutch layup with just one second left. In their latest game, LSU overcame Vanderbilt 83-77 in a battle that featured 13 lead changes. Despite a rough start and multiple referee calls, they clutched up in the final moments to stay undefeated.

And these games came in rapid succession, leaving little time for recovery. Arkansas on January 3, Auburn on January 6, Tennessee on January 10, and Vanderbilt on January 13. That’s four games in just over a week. And LSU faces Florida on January 19. It’s relentless, but Kim Mulkey & Co. still thrives, and as the head coach said in the post-game conference, they just want to just keep bagging more wins. 

Kim Mulkey’s Tigers climb to the top 5

With this sheer determination and undefeated streak, LSU moved into the top five of the AP Top 25 rankings this week. The Tigers join UCLA and Ohio State as the last unbeaten powerhouses. UCLA still sits at No. 1, but Notre Dame grabbed two first-place votes.

Cal made a massive leap this week, jumping six spots after impressive wins against NC State and Florida State. Minnesota and Oklahoma State also cracked the top 25 for the first time in years, while Michigan and Iowa—dealing with tough schedules—dropped out. 

The SEC continues to dominate the rankings with seven teams represented, proving once again why it’s the toughest conference in the country. Last season, South Carolina bulldozed their way to an undefeated championship season. 

With Kim Mulkey at the helm, LSU looks poised to chase that same dream. The Tigers have the talent, depth, the Big 3, and most importantly, the passion to make it happen. But with a challenging SEC schedule and plenty of tough games still ahead, we never know.

All we want is some exciting and ‘must-watch’ games ahead, which Mulkey’s crew will surely deliver.