Kim Mulkey remains positive ahead of March Madness, despite LSU not being at its best. The coach is well aware that the team needs significant reinforcement to face the upcoming challenges of the women’s basketball league.
After LSU’s loss to Ole Miss, the team dropped from 7th to 9th place in the women’s college basketball rankings. This setback came after the injury of star guard Flau’Jae Johnson, who must recover slowly.
However, this drop in the rankings has exposed LSU’s performance issues. Without Johnson, the team appears significantly weakened. Additionally, LSU struggles with defensive problems and frequent turnovers.
What’s next for LSU?
Kim Mulkey and LSU now faces a complex situation, having to find its rhythm without its top scorer, who averaged nearly 19 points per game. The team must do so quickly, as the SEC Tournament and March Madness are fast approaching.
ESPN sports analyst Elle Duncan weighed in:
“Looking at those top seven teams—we’ve talked about this—most of them have shifted around, but they’ve remained the top seven teams. LSU fell out of that group, and NC State took their place. Before last week, before the new rankings came out, those seven teams had moved around, but they were consistently among the top seven.”
It is clear that Flau’Jae Johnson’s absence has completely changed LSU’s situation. Other players must step up to fill the void left by their best scorer, but that won’t be easy, as she is also an excellent defender and rebounder.
Kim Mulkey stays positive
Despite the pressure on her team, Kim Mulkey remains confident. She seems to have a plan, as she stated:
“That decision was mine, knowing we’d be missing 19 points per game along with her defensive and rebounding skills. But that’s okay.”
Her job has become even more challenging, but a coach of her caliber can turn things around—she just needs time and trust.
