Kim Mulkey reveals what it will take to defeat Iowa, advance to the Final Four

No. 3 LSU is on the brink of a second consecutive Final Four with only a title rematch with No. 1 Iowa in their way of that. In order to get past the Hawkeyes and to Cleveland, though, it’s going to take a full team effort by the Tigers.

Kim Mulkey spoke about what LSU would need to do to defeat Iowa in their second postseason meeting of the past two tournaments. She said it’s going to need all of her players contributing to all of the aspects of the game that lead to an overall winning effort.

“Well, it’s going to take all players that play and I’m going to give you examples of that,” Mulkey said. “We’re not going to have to knock down jumpers to beat Iowa. We’re going to have to play good. We’re going to have to play hard. We’re going to have to defend. We’re going to have to get back in transition defense. We have to do a lot of little things to beat them.”

In the national title game last year, LSU won 102-85 over Iowa with both teams looking much different. The Tigers managed to outshoot the Hawkeyes altogether as they finished at 54.3% from the field, including 11-17 (64.7%) from distance. Jasmine Carson, their leading scorer, went 5-6 (83.3%) from deep alone en route to her 22 points.

LSU also won the glass by 11 and had four less turnovers than their opponent that day in Dallas.

As an example of what she means, Mulkey pointed to the play of Hailey Van Lith and Aalyah Del Rosario against UCLA during the Sweet 16. Those players produced in their roles and certainly helped them to reach the Elite Eight with their victory over the Bruins.

“Hailey Van Lith had a heck of a game yesterday and people don’t even realize it. Five assists, one turnover, three steals. Took a big charge at the end, got her one and only rebound at the end,” Mulkey recalled. “Those things matter when you’re a point guard trying to control a game and hang on to a win. She’s got to keep doing that. She’ll hit some jumpers.”

“Aalyah coming in when Angel (Reese) got in foul trouble. She has the body to bang. I’ve been begging her to be a Mack Truck and not a Kia and she was a Mack Truck yesterday. She got down in the stance. It was like she was loving that I’m getting to guard somebody that’s my size,” added Mulkey. “She was big for us yesterday.”

It’s sometimes the small things that eventually add up together that will make the biggest of differences. That’s the sort of performance that Mulkey is specifically looking for in Albany on Monday in order for LSU to take one of the final two spots in this year’s Final Four.

“All of them had to do something good yesterday. Not spectacular,” Mulkey said. “You don’t have to play out of your mind. Just everybody contribute.”