Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers are entering the NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 in the Sacramento bracket for the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament. Mulkey has led the Tigers to a 27-5 record this season, including 12-4 in conference play. LSU won big games against top-ranked teams all season, including against the No. 2 Texas Longhorns, No. 17 Ole Miss, and two big wins against the Oklahoma Sooners.
Junior guard Milaysia Fulwiley leads the team in points in per game at 14.6, assists per game at 3.7, steals per game at 3.0 and blocks per game at 1.4. Senior forward Amiya Joyner leads the team in rebounds at 7.4. Although LSU is led by its upperclassmen, Mulkey has high expectations for her underclassmen for March Madness, specifically her freshmen.
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During a press conference before the start of the tournament, Mulkey was asked questions about her Tigers. When asked about her team, she begins by discussing the bench and advocating for their talent, saying she "can only start five". When she got to the Freshman, the coach sang their praises.
"Freshman usually have to learn new roles and wait their turn, this Freshman group didn't." said the head coach, "They are significantly affecting our team from the time they got here. They are very confident, they are producing, some took a little longer, like Bella Hines, I don't hesitate. Bella just kept coming on and getting stronger and stronger throughout the season. The Freshman group, they've lived up to the billing."
LSU will play the Jacksonville Dolphins at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Friday at 6:00 p.m. ET.
