LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey had social media buzzing once again after her postgame press conference following LSU’s hard-fought 72-65 loss to top-seeded UCLA in the Elite Eight. Known for her bold presence and sharp comebacks, Mulkey made headlines—not just for the game, but for how she handled a reporter’s question.
During the press conference, Jayden Smith, a student reporter from KLSU Sports, kicked off his question by pointing out LSU’s second straight year missing the Final Four.
“That’s terrible, isn’t it?” Mulkey interrupted, keeping it 100 before Smith could even finish.
Then she hit him with a follow-up:
“Is that terrible, or is that good?”
Smith, caught in the moment, chuckled and answered honestly:
“Terrible.”
Mulkey didn’t flinch.
“Is it? How many Final Fours you play in?” she shot back.
When Smith admitted none, she closed it out with a classic Mulkey zinger:
“So it’s probably pretty good, huh?”
Now, to some folks watching the clip online, it looked like classic Mulkey throwing shade. But if you caught the full video, she actually winked after the exchange—maybe signaling it was all in good fun.
Flau’Jae Johnson’s 28-Point Performance Shines Despite Loss
While Mulkey’s back-and-forth with the young reporter made headlines, Flau’Jae Johnson reminded everyone why she’s one of the brightest stars in women’s college basketball. She dropped a game-high 28 points, shooting 10-for-17 from the field, and gave the Tigers everything she had.
After the game, Johnson reflected on her growth this season—both as a player and a person.
“I thought I became a better person, and I became — I really became a leader. That’s who I am at heart, and that’s — like, I want to continue to be a better person,” she said.
Her energy on the court matched her words off it. Even though the Tigers came up short, Flau’Jae’s performance proved her evolution into a true leader of this LSU squad.