Kim Mulkey, LSU give latest update on Last-Tear Poa injury

LSU defeated Ole Miss 75-67 in the SEC tournament semi-finals on Saturday night in Greenville, but the main storyline after the win was about junior guard Last-Tear Poa. Poa suffered a scary concussion in the fourth quarter of the game, attempting to take a charge. She attempted to get up and was helped off before falling down to the court again where she then had her neck stabilized and was carted off the court.

LSU posted this on Saturday night, saying Poa was expected to be released from the hospital tonight.

Poa suffered a concussion, but has movement and feeling throughout her body. She is expected to be released from the hospital tonight 💜

— LSU Women's Basketball (@LSUwbkb) March 10, 2024

Here’s what Kim Mulkey and her players had to say about the injury and trying to respond during the game.

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey

An update on Last-Tear Poa…

Yes As I was walking to this press conference The trainer told me that her cat scan. Is that right? CT scan cat scan, whatever you call it Came back clean So that’s wonderful news. I spoke to her mother. The kid took quite a lick on the back of her head. I did not see it I saw it on the film just a minute ago and I wouldn’t even look at it. I know enough about Poa that if she can’t get up and she tries to get up and she’s in bad shape her teammates know that.

She was just a little bit unresponsive, mostly is how I would describe it. She could squeeze your hand lightly. She could tell you she could feel her legs. But she couldn’t really articulate well enough for you not to be afraid. The kids were right there, so they saw it all so I sent them to the bench and told coach Starkey to take over while I stayed with Poa. Poa is one of the toughest kids I’ve coached and I know she will be fine. I know the power of prayer and we were doing a lot of praying in that huddle.”

How did you keep your team focused on the game?

“Honestly I don’t give a damn about the game at that point. I really don’t. That’s somebody’s child. That’s my player. And those are my players in that huddle. So when I got to the huddle, it was bad. It was just very, very emotional.I think Angel spoke up. I think Hailey Van Lith spoke up. Like, we’ve got to get through this. We’ve got to finish the game. And they dug deep. It was one of the more gutsy performances of a team I’ve ever coached. Because at that point, really, the game means nothing. It really doesn’t. And I think you have to dig and think ‘Wow, do I really want to just call out a play here because you’re thinking about I need to be in that ambulance with Poa?’ but she’s in great hands with our doctor who travels with us and one of my coaches and president Dr. Tate and I will go as soon as we’re done with y ‘all to the hospital.” 

On adjustments in the fourth quarter…

“We were struggling to run anything. Not playing Mikaylah. Angels got a tweaked ankle, so your rotation is kind of not fluid. You’re playing Janae, you’re playing Aalyah more, which is good for our team, and it’s good for those kids. And then when Poa went down. It’s not only emotional, but you’re still trying to figure out really how to win a ball game. Did I draw up anything special or call out? I was calling anything I thought would work. But there was a point in one of the timeouts where I looked at them and I said, ‘I need your help right now. I’m not a very good coach right now. What do y ‘all want to run?’ So that makes them take ownership and it also makes them take away the emotion from them that they got to play coach for a minute. 

Call it psychology, call it what you want, but that’s what I did. And so they said, let’s run this play. Each one of them wanted to say and suggest something. So I kind of got the tears away from them and just made them play coach for a period of time right there.”

On LSU playing in the championship game…

“Well I think this is my third year at LSU and this is the first championship in the conference tournament that we’ve played in and that’s big. That was a goal of ours was when you get to the conference tournament, get to that championship game. I think you’re going to see two teams that are tired. They had to play hard to win today. We had to play hard and it may not be a pretty game. Who knows? 

It is two of the most recognizable teams in the country and Quite honestly If I remember the national championships come through the SEC right So maybe you’re watching one of us win a national championship again. It would be fun to keep it in the SEC.”

F Angel Reese and F Aneesah Morrow

Angel Reese on getting emotional when Poa was helped off…

So much is going through your mind and just praying for her. She means so much for this team. She sacrifices her body every single night. She has 30 charges this year and being able to understand that that could have happened at any moment And that’s why I was telling the Flau’Jae don’t blame yourself for this and just trying to keep the team together as much as we can because Poal will want us to stay together. Poa wants us to play hard and do this for her and win this game and play tough. She is one of the toughest players on our team. So being able to just fight. We hit a couple big shots and we all just said that’s for Poa.

We kept trying to get through that that was the hardest five minutes of a game that I’ve ever played So emotionally physically mentally, I think we just stayed poised and stayed together at that tim.”

Aneesah Morrow on LSU getting through the last five minutes…

“Everybody was emotional and tearing up. But our team has been through hell. Like, let’s be honest. And we just told each other we have to have each other back. Like, we’ve been through worse than this. And just had to pull it back because she wouldn’t want us to win this game for her.”

Angel Reese on LSU playing for the title…

I’m proud of this team, regardless. I mean, we’re going to go out there and fight and fight and give it our all and give everything that we got, and we’re going to battle. We know what South Carolina has. We shouldn’t let them slip away at home. So I’m just proud of where we are, because, I mean, last year, we lost in the semis, and now we’re going to the championship. Like I said, everything we’ve been through this year, from not playing games to different lineups to ACL tears to losing teammates, so many different things that have happened within the team, it’s no better time than now. And I’m up for the challenge, we are up for the challenge, our coaches are up for the challenge, and I’m ready for tomorrow. We’re going to be ready.”