Kim Mulkey calls South Carolina the ‘best team in the country’

On Thursday night, the LSU Tigers are getting ready to host the South Carolina Gamecocks in what should be one of the best women’s basketball games of the season. Ahead of the game, LSU coach Kim Mulkey praised South Carolina.

Mulkey explained that South Carolina is just as good as last season, but that the best team isn’t necessarily the team that wins.

“They just reload,” Kim Mulkey said. “They’re that good. They were that good last year. I said it last year and I’ll say it again, they’re the best team in the country, but the best team doesn’t always win.”

South Carolina is the top-ranked team in the country and has a 17-0 record. For now, at least, it seems like the Gamecocks are on their way to another deep postseason run. On the other side of the game, though, LSU is also having an excellent season. The Tigers are 18-2 and tied for second in the SEC.

“You’re seeing a lot of that in women’s basketball, probably more so than ever before. I think the Transfer Portal has created more parity in our sport and probably in all sports,” Mulkey said.

“But we’ve got our hands full. No one seems to have come up with the magic solution to beat them and we’re gonna try. We’re gonna get our chance on Thursday. I know the fans will be there. I know they’ll cheer hard. I know our players will play hard and that’s all you can ask.”

The game between LSU and South Carolina will be played in Baton Rouge. It will be the only regular season meeting between these two teams.

Kim Mulkey: Personalities at LSU, Iowa sparking growth of women’s sports

In recent years, women’s sports have been on the rise. That, according to Kim Mulkey, is being sparked in part because of personalities at schools like LSU and Iowa.

“It’s funny you ask that question, I just had somebody give me this. Lady Techsters where I played [Louisiana Tech] just had their 50th anniversary. I didn’t play in a lot of empty gyms, I haven’t been in a lot of empty gyms, I’ve been the recipient of a lot of women that came before me and that’s why history really really means a lot to me. I know the stories I’ve heard from those who came before me and I’ve been blessed to learn from the best, respect this game, and play it and coach it the right way,” Mulkey said.

“And all I ever want is players to have that feeling of what it feels like to win a championship, to win a game you’re not supposed to win, to run out that tunnel and look around and go wow, to leave a game and you can’t get to your car without security. What is different? The game has grown, but there’s something about Iowa and LSU from that national championship that has continued. I was watching Iowa and Ohio State today and the graphic on the telecast is the same graphic we have here. When they go on the road they break records in attendance, we’re doing that.”