LSU head coach Kim Mulkey has her eyes set on more than just the Sweet 16. As the No. 3 Tigers prepare for a Sweet 16 matchup with No. 2 NC State in Spokane, Washington, Mulkey made it very clear the team was looking to make a run.
Kim Mulkey Eyes Final Four Run for LSU Tigers
While Mulkey retained a significant portion of her Tigers team that made an Elite Eight run last year and won the national championship in 2023, she stressed that some of her players haven’t even played in a Sweet 16 yet in their careers.
“In our locker room there’s five that have never been there. There are five players on this team that have never been to a Sweet 16,” Mulkey said. “Five players that contribute, and I explained to them, ‘this is why you came here.’”
.@KimMulkey: “We don’t play to just get to a Sweet 16 at LSU Women’s Basketball anymore.”
Kim Mulkey has elevated the standard at LSU. Postseason runs are expected. Fans are packing the PMAC for games. She’s recruiting elite players. @LSUwbkb pic.twitter.com/0cRyHAmO83
— Farrah Yvette (@farrah_yvette) March 25, 2025
Transfers Kailyn Gilbert, Jersey Wolfenbarger, Mjracle Sheppard and Shayeann Day-Wilson have all never seen the second weekend of the NCAA tournament, as has the team’s lone freshman, Jada Richard. None of the five were in the starting five against San Diego State in the second round.
“We don’t play to just get to the Sweet 16 at LSU women’s basketball anymore,” Mulkey said. “That’s just, not that we take it for granted, but our goal every year is to just make a run and see if you can get to another Final Four and see if you can upset somebody you’re not supposed to upset. We weren’t talked about at all when we won it two years ago. So let’s go see what we can do.”
Since coming to LSU, Mulkey has transformed the team into a powerhouse. After a second-round finish in the 2022 NCAA tournament, the team leveled up, only losing twice on the way to a 2023 NCAA title. They made the Elite Eight in 2024.
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Mulkey has four NCAA tournament titles under her belt, winning three times with Baylor. She has five Final Four appearances.
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