Dawn Staley‘s South Carolina Gamecocks and Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers’ first showdown in the upcoming season is awaited by many. This was discussed on the “South Carolina Sideline” show’s most recent episode on Tuesday, Aug. 19, as hosts Matt Dowell and Jared Parker dived deep into what the Gamecocks’ schedule is shaping up to be in the 2025-26 season.
In one part of the video, as they were running down the SEC teams that South Carolina will be facing, both Dowell and Parker agreed on the Gamecocks winning the majority of their conference matchups. But when it came to LSU, which now has former Gamecock MiLaysia Fulwiley, their predictions were split, and they hailed the clash as the SEC-defining game of the year.
“South Carolina will go to LSU to take on Kim Mulkey and the Tigers. This one is always a must-see showdown, no matter what. It has been for a few seasons, and of course, all eyes will be on Baton Rouge because it will be the first time South Carolina and LSU play each other, with MiLaysia Fulwiley on LSU. I know everyone is going to have opinions on this game,” Dowell said (48:43).
Parker then made a bold take on who he thinks will win.
“There still is a rivalry aspect and as far as going into LSU and the fans go, there is a rivalry aspect. When rivalries happen, weird things happen. South Carolina has had LSU’s number over the past couple of years, but I think we’re going to see a guard showdown. And, I don’t have a prediction yet ’cause I was really making my mind up to this point, I think LSU at home is going to give the Gamecocks their first SEC loss,” he shared (49:56).
In the recently-concluded 2024-25 season, Staley and the Gamecocks finished with an overall record of 35-4 (15-1 SEC) and had their back-to-back national championship hopes foiled by the UConn Huskies through a 23-point defeat in the NCAA title game.
For Mulkey and the Tigers, they went all the way to the Elite Eight of the 2025 NCAA tournament, and ended the year with a 31-6 overall record (12-4 SEC).
Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks defeated Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers in their most recent matchup
The last time that coach Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks clashed with coach Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers was on Jan. 24 of this year, when the Gamecocks defeated the Tigers by 10 points, 66-56, in an SEC matchup played in the Colonial Life Arena.
South Carolina went on to win the 2025 regular season championship and conference tournament title, with LSU bowing out in the semifinals.
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