When the buzzer sounded following LSU’s game against Vanderbilt, the Tigers fell to 0-2 in conference play.
It was a chance for LSU women’s basketball to redeem itself after losing its first conference game of the season at home to No.11 Kentucky 80-78 by a game-winning three from Wildcats’ guard Tonie Morgan.
Three days later, the Tigers traveled to Nashville to play No. 12 Vanderbilt, but they also fell short, 65-61. They were engulfed by turnovers, fouls and had no answer for Mikayla Blakes, who led both teams with 35 points.
Since head coach Kim Mulkey took over in 2021, LSU has never started conference play with a loss. Now in year five, it’s been anything but easy for the Tigers with this SEC schedule.
“I think it’s a sign of parody,” Mulkey said following the loss to Vanderbilt. “I think when you get into conference [play], we know each other so well, and you take away all the things that you do good, and you have to go to your second, third and fourth option, and then it gets physical, it’s just the way it is in conferences.”
Mulkey has been criticized because her team didn’t face many tougher opponents before conference play. Outside of Duke, the Tigers didn’t see any other Power Four teams during their non-conference schedule.
Even when LSU traveled to Cameron Indoor Stadium, the No. 7 team in the preseason AP Top 25 poll entered the game 3-5 and was going through a three-game losing streak.
Narratives began to unfold, and the panic button was about to be pushed.
However, this is nothing new for Mulkey, as she’s managed this type of scheduling before and used it as a way to generate chemistry and test different lineups.
Following the loss to the Commodores, LSU got back on track, earning its first conference win of the season by defeating Georgia 80-59 on Thursday. After scoring zero points against Vanderbilt, guard Flau’jae Johnson came back and answered with 25 points while shooting 69.2% from the field.
It was a big win for the Tigers, who were on the verge of losing three straight games to start conference play and needed a positive result before heading into what could be the biggest game of the year against No. 2 Texas.
Last season, LSU faced off against the Longhorns twice, once in the regular season and again in the SEC semifinal, losing both matchups by seven points.
For their 2026 reunion, a sea of white draped the inside of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Sunday night for the highly anticipated white-out game, where two of the best teams in the country clashed.
It was a back-and-forth affair for the first half as the largest lead was merely five points, as LSU guard Jada Richard nailed a pull-up jumper as the clock hit triple zero.
The Tigers took over in the third quarter, increasing their lead to 11. MiLaysia Fulwiley got a euro-step layup at the buzzer, which made Mulkey fist pump the air to end the quarter.
Despite 13 points from Texas forward Madison Booker in the fourth quarter to trim the deficit, it was a dagger fadeaway three from Mikaylah Williams as the shot clock expired to put the nail in the coffin with less than two minutes remaining.
It was clear that Williams was the most impactful player for the Tigers, as she was the only player to score more than 10 points, finishing with 20. She had seven rebounds and four assists while also shooting 7-for-13 from the field.
Before her performance against Texas, Williams struggled in the previous two games, combining for only 17 points and six turnovers while shooting 7-for-17 from the field.
However, it was her performance on defense that led to a victory for LSU.
Five steals and six deflections, along with just being more effective on the opposite side of the ball, made her the defensive player of the game.
“If anybody knows coach Mulkey, she’s really big on defense, and that’s something she’s been riding me on since I’ve been to LSU,” Williams said during the post-game press conference. “And that’s something that I’ve wanted to improve on, and that’s something I know needs to continue to improve to be great on this level and good on the next level as well.”
Williams and her team held on and upset No. 2 Texas 70-65, giving the Longhorns their first loss of the season and LSU’s first win against an AP Top 2 team since 2008.
There were questions about whether LSU was truly a top team in the country after losing its first two games against top-ranked teams. Now, the cloud of doubt that loomed over the city of Baton Rouge has slowly dissipated with one of the biggest wins in program history.
Although it was a big win, Mulkey reminded the press after the game why her mindset remains the same, whether the result is a win or a loss.
“Do you know that I have lost three of my first four games in a conference before and made it to a final four?” Mulkey asked. “Losing games in this league, that’s how hard it is, guys. You don’t get too high. You don’t get too low. I didn’t run around the gym and throw my clothes off cuz we beat Texas tonight. It’s a tough league. Texas is a Final Four team, and we’ve got to prepare for another great team on the road.”
