“This is crazy good stuff,” said Kim Mulkey, head coach of women’s basketball at Louisiana State University (LSU). On Sunday, the Louisiana native coached LSU to glory, securing its first-ever national title in women’s hoops. With the victory, she became the first female coach to win NCAA titles at two schools.
After LSU secured its 102–85 victory over University of Iowa, words of praise went out to not only the players on the current roster who brought this team to victory, but to those who first put LSU women’s basketball on the map: Seimone Augustus, Sylvia Fowles, Temeka Johnson, and Marie Ferdinand-Harris.
After 21 years and three Division I NCAA Championships at Baylor University, Mulkey decided two years ago that you can go home again. In only her second year at LSU, she built a team of experienced transfer students willing to do what it takes to win. None more than Angel Reese, who played her first two collegiate seasons at Maryland and was named Most Outstanding Player.
“From day one, Kim Mulkey is about togetherness, saying, ‘I need everyone,’” said Ferdinand-Harris. “She operates like that, not just on her team, but everyone—from the secretary to the president. She clearly and truly understands that she can’t do it by herself…and she pulls everyone in, so it’s hard to beat Kim Mulkey because Kim Mulkey has an entourage of people working super hard.
“Of course, she’s leading by example,” Ferdinand-Harris added. “She told us alumnae, ‘I need you guys.’ When they get to those games, it’s not just the players. It’s all that extra that gives them that advantage.”
Five LSU players scored in double figures in the final game: Reese, LaDazhia Williams, Flau’jae Johnson, Alexis Morris, and Jasmine Carson. Iowa had its moments. Down 17 points at the half, the Hawkeyes got to within seven points. Despite being in foul trouble, Caitlin Clark scored 30 points.
Clark headlined this year’s WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America Team. The list also includes Aliyah Boston of the University of South Carolina and Maddy Siegrist of Villanova, both of whom are entering next week’s WNBA Draft. Columbia’s Abbey Hsu received Honorable Mention—only the second Columbia player to achieve that recognition.
Congratulations also go to the NCAA Division II (Ashland University) and Division III (Transylvania University) National Champions, which got to play their championship games at the site of the Final Four.
