The LSU women’s basketball team are the national champions!
The Tigers rolled through the NCAA Tournament, capping their journey on Sunday in a win over Iowa. It’s the first-ever women’s basketball national championship for LSU, and it comes in just coach Kim Mulkey’s 2nd season with the team.
Oh, there’s so much I could say.
But I will just say this. Get used to this feeling, LSU fans. Get used to this feeling. Because this program is just getting started.
The Lady Tigers have an amazing core returning, the No. 1 recruiting class in the country coming in and, well, they have Kim Mulkey. Enough said.
Let’s get to today’s takes.
- Thank you, Dawn Staley – South Carolina is a better team than Iowa. A much, much, much better team than Iowa. But Dawn Staley had an arrogant, concrete plan against the Hawkeyes and just refused to make adjustments. Thank you very much. This matchup was much better for LSU and the Lady Tigers feasted. You can’t just leave players unguarded at this level. A) They shouldn’t miss often. B) If they do, you can’t block them out, so they fly in on the glass. Those shenanigans don’t work.
- Athletes. Athletes. Athletes. – LSU had the best athletes on the court Sunday. Their advantage in athleticism was apparent and obvious throughout the game. Iowa had skill. They had some shotmaking. But LSU had the edge in size, jumping, speed, quickness and every, single other tangible athletic skill. Can’t bring pencils to a sword fight. Iowa didn’t have enough athletes to keep up.
- Carson – My God! – All season long, LSU fans were worried about LSU’s 3-point shooting. Turns out, it was there and the Lady Tigers were saving it for the right moment. Jasmine Carson was unbelievable in the 2nd quarter, and without Angel Reese, that amazing shooting was keeping the Lady Tigers afloat. What a time to come to life!
- Caitlin Clark is amazing, but gets away with a lot – Caitlin Clark is an out of this world good basketball player. But she got away with a lot on Sunday. An awful lot. She uses her off arm on every drive. She throws her body and legs into defenders to initiate contact. It’s all stuff that players should do if they’re skilled enough to do. But it also cost her on Sunday.
- LSU will be better next year – I don’t know if LSU will win it all next year. That remains to be seen. But the Tigers will have a more talented roster. Isn’t that scary? They return a lot of their core, have the No. 1 recruiting class and the No. 1 overall player in the country coming in. That’s scary.
- I can’t help but think about the previous greats – As the game went final, I couldn’t help but to think about the great LSU teams of the past who never were blessed to get to this moment. I thought of Temeka Johnson, Seimone Augustus, Sylvia Fowles, Erica White, RaShonta LeBlanc, Boogie Barrett, Quianny Chaney, Ashley Thomas, Kristen Morris, Allison Hightower and so many others. You ladies laid the foundation. This one is for you, too. I hope you understand that.
- It’s never been better – LSU athletics have never been better. The women’s basketball team is at the pinnacle. The baseball team is the best team in the country. Football is on the rise. Gymnastics is a bear. Softball is a bear. I love where everything is headed right now with LSU athletics. Scott Woodward is that dude. Joe Alleva … wasn’t.