Late in the fourth with LSU up 33 points, freshman forward Grace Knox took the ball coast-to-coast all the way to the basket, finishing through contact, getting the bucket and the foul.
Players exploded off the bench, cheering and helping Knox, who was lying on the ground, back to her feet.
It’s moments like these that show the type of chemistry LSU women’s basketball has, and it’s something that coaches remember for a long time.
Last Sunday, the Tigers defeated Alabama 103-63, rolling over the Crimson Tide in an all-around victory.
From lockdown defense to efficient offense, it was one of the best games LSU has played, especially against a ranked opponent.
“Our defense was special,” head coach Kim Mulkey said after the win. “It was just one of those days where, as a coach, you go, man, I enjoyed that game not because we won, but it was how we did it, and it started on the defensive end, and it never stopped.”
That energy carried over to offense as LSU once again eclipsed 100 points, making it the 12th time this season. Despite not having one player over 16 points, the Tigers still dominated with all 11 players filling the scoring column.
Totaling 20 assists as a team, the Tigers transferred.
“When your team plays great team defense, that translates to the other end and you share the ball,” Mulkey said.
Over the course of the season, Mulkey has been able to observe and learn what type of team she has throughout SEC play. Watching them grow and improve is what makes her enjoy coaching them.
“How coachable they are, how fun they are,” Mulkey said. “When I say fun, you enjoy going to work. You enjoy seeing them even if each of them has a bad game. They don’t let it bother them into the next practice.”
Starters Mikaylah Williams and Jada Richard combined for 31, but the team’s leading scorer, Flau’jae Johnson, finished with only nine points.
For some players, they might try to force their way into putting more points on the board, but that wasn’t the case for Johnson.
When LSU got to a sizable lead in the third quarter, starters Kate Koval, Johnson and Williams and more went to the bench. Players such as Bella Hines, Divine Bourrage, Meghan Yarnevich and Knox played the majority of the second half.
Yet, Johnson was jumping around and hyping up all of her teammates from the sideline.
“Unselfish — I’ve got a whole bench full of starters,” Mulkey said. “And upperclassmen, Flau’jae and Mikaylah, are trying to be as unselfish as they can be to make the others better. Nine points, happy as a lark, handing it off, she got excited when all those things [happened], that’s growth.”
There’s talent and depth across the board, meaning not everyone is going to score a lot or even play, but seeing her team support one another and how unselfish they can be is what makes this team so much fun for her.
“A lot of kids get caught up in ‘do I start? I’m deserving.”’ Mulkey said. “We don’t have that. As you see, I’m going to play you. It doesn’t matter if you start. You just want to be in the rotation, and it makes coaching fun when you win. But I’ve won with teams that weren’t fun to coach, and this team is fun to coach.”
