"I wish she would've pushed Angel Reese": When Kim Mulkey tore into Kamilla Cardoso, Dawn Staley's South Carolina after Gamecocks beat LSU

In March 2024, the infamous scuffle unfolded between Kim Mulkey's LSU Tigers and Dawn Staley's South Carolina Gamecocks in the SEC Championship game. This resulted in several players from both teams getting ejected, leading to a 5-on-5 affair, as both teams had no bench players with 2:13 minutes left in the final quarter.

The issue began when the now-Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso shoved Flau'jae Johnson to the ground after she intentionally fouled South Carolina's MiLaysia Fulwiley and pushed stalwart Ashlyn Watkins in the process.

During the postgame press conference, Kim Mulkey was asked about the scuffle and she said:

"It's ugly, it's not good. Noone wants to be a part of that (the scuffle). Noone wants to see that ugliness. But, I can tell you this, I wish she (Kamilla Cardoso) would have pushed Angel Reese." (Timestamp: 8:10)

"You're 6'8, don't push somebody that little. That was uncalled for, in my opinion. Let those two girls that were jawing, let them go at it," she explained.

Kamilla Cardoso is 6-foot-7, Angel Reese is 6-foot-3 and Flau'jae Johnson is 5-foot-10. In addition to the ejection, the Gamecocks center was also suspended for the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Kim Mulkey blamed the referees for the hotly contested final minutes

In the postgame presser, Kim Mulkey also said that the lack of foul calls by the officials was the reason the game intensified and led to the fight

"Do you realize there was only one foul called on each team with two minutes to play in the fourth quarter? Are you kidding me? That might have created some of that (tension)," Mulkey said. (6:40)

"Not the way we play, we gonna foul your *ss. Not the way they play, they gonna foul your *ss. But you only blew that whistle one time? Think about that now."

Following the disappointing finish to the conference championship, the LSU Tigers moved on to the NCAA Tournament. Angel Reese and Co. advanced to the Elite Eight, where they were defeated by the Caitlin Clark-led Iowa Hawkeyes.

The Tigers are on a great run in the 2024-25 season with a 20-0 overall record. Mulkey and the Tigers are poised to exact revenge as their next SEC matchup pits them against Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks. This will be their first meeting since last year.

The LSU vs South Carolina game is scheduled for Thursday at 8 p.m. EST.