Yahoo Sports LSU’s Kim Mulkey says South Carolina WBB is ‘best in the country’ after loss to Gamecocks
No. 2 South Carolina won its latest heavyweight bout Friday, handing previously undefeated No. 5 LSU its first loss of the season.
After that 66-56 loss at Colonial life Arena, LSU head coach Kim Mulkey had plenty of compliments for Dawn Staley and the No. 2 Gamecocks (19-1, 7-0 SEC) in her postgame press conference.
High praise for the Gamecocks
South Carolina may not be the literal No. 1 team in the country due to an early loss to UCLA, but Mulkey thinks the Gamecocks are the best of the best regardless.
“Learned a lot about my team today,” Mulkey said. “I learned we can hang with the best in the country, and I do think they’re the best in the country.
South Carolina’s deep roster
South Carolina sports one of the deepest rosters in the country and Mulkey harped on its ability several times during her press conference.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever coached against a team that’s got 10 McDonald’s All-Americans on a roster. How do you even keep 10 on a roster? And that’s what we faced today and what a challenge it was.”
Mulkey kept her rotation tight on Friday night with just one of the four players who came off the bench receiving more than 10 minutes of playing time. While fatigue could have played a part in LSU’s loss, she gave credit to South Carolina’s ability to stay fresh due to the depth of the roster.
“Well you’ve got 10 McDonald’s All-Americans. Flip a coin, y’all can play any of them you want. Got to keep them happy, right?” Mulkey said. “I don’t have that. I’ve got to go with what I have, what I feel in my gut. Fatigue could play a part, but I always tend to give credit to the opponent. The shots we miss could have been fatigued. The shots we miss could have been their good defense.
“I’m gonna call Dawn and tell her to send me some of those she doesn’t play,” Mulkey said later. “I don’t think she’ll do it though.”
An important game, but not that important
Mulkey was asked how LSU could get over the hump of being able to beat South Carolina. She responded with a question of her own:
“What’s most important in sports? Winning national championships, winning conference championships or just beating a team you hadn’t beat in five times you played. Which one’s the most important?”
The reporter replied with “championships” to which Mulkey responded: “You’re dang right.”
Mulkey acknowledged South Carolina’s success against LSU during her tenure, but also emphasized she doesn’t place beating the Gamecocks over winning national championships on her priority list.
“When I started at Baylor University, I couldn’t beat Oklahoma. Stayed after it, stayed after it. Got tired of sports writer asking me about it. He quit asking me when we caught up with them,” she said. “But at the end of the day, this is the beginning of the fourth year of my tenure at LSU. If I ever put beating South Carolina as a priority over (national championships) — they’re too good to do that right now. Dawn’s been here 17 years.
“But I do remember playing them when I was a Baylor, when I had been there 17, 18, 19 years. You don’t focus on those things. You focus on the bigger picture. The bigger picture right now for LSU and for South Carolina is, we’re doing our part in women’s basketball to bring great recognition and great games. And let’s keep doing it.”
