The results are in, in terms of the viewership numbers and records, that the regular-season game between two SEC powerhouse programs racked up, as the postseason approaches. On Saturday, Feb. 14, coach Dawn Staley‘s South Carolina Gamecocks defeated coach Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers 79-72 on the latter’s home floor, the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
With the bitter rivals adding another chapter to their uber-intense rivalry, the Valentine’s Day special did not disappoint with the animosity, intensity, and viewership it garnered. According to a post by college basketball reporter Matt Dowell on his X/Twitter account, the game between the Gamecocks and LSU peaked at a staggering 2.2 million viewers worldwide. This means that it has become the most-watched women’s collegiate hoops game of the 2025-26 season.
According to Dowell, the 2.2 million peak that the Tigers vs. South Carolina matchup netted surpassed the previous most-watched game of the campaign, when Staley and company played against coach Kim Caldwell’s Tennessee Volunteers before Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8. In that game, the Gamecocks beat Tennessee by 43 points, 93-50, on their home floor, the Colonial Life Arena.
After The Loss To South Carolina, Kim Mulkey Hopes That Her Players Are Hurting
Unfortunately for coach Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers, they lost to the South Carolina Gamecocks 79-72, as the latter pulled away in the dying minutes of the game.
With a huge loss in front of their home crowd, Mulkey was asked, during her post-game presser, what the prevailing emotion was for her team. She said she hoped her players are hurting, as it will fuel them further.
“Well, we’re not in there celebrating, Reed. I hope kids are hurting. I hope if you’re a competitor, you’re hurting individually. And then collectively, it’s our job as coaches when we get back on that practice floor to make sure we get them back in the right mindset to keep winning a few more basketball games. We’ll see, we’ll see. They’ve done it all year so, I hope that they’ll continue to do it as we finish February and head into March Madness,” Mulkey said.
Also Read: Kim Mulkey Faces Dawn Staley Curse as Fans Call Gamecocks Boss the “GOAT”
Read More: Dawn Staley And South Carolina Slap Back at Kim Mulkey’s LSU Crowd With Custom Hoodies
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