After Tennessee’s Kim Caldwell, Kim Mulkey gives a gift to pregnant Kelly Rae Finley as LSU played Florida

As the LSU Tigers battled a three-point deficit in the first quarter against Florida on Sunday, coach Kim Mulkey presented a gift to the Gators coach Kelly Rae Finley, who is expecting a baby in April. Smiling widely, Finely accepted the gift and the two coaches gave each other a long hug.

Earlier in January, Mulkey packed gifts for Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell, who is "due any day" with her first baby. Days before the matchup, Mulkey even joked that Caldwell should have the baby during the game, joking that it would also help bring increased attention to the contest.

After the game against Tennessee, Kim Mulkey explained her reason behind the gift, saying:

"When I watch coaches that are going to try and coach and be a momma, we need more of that. And Pat Summitt was gracious to me when I was an assistant at Louisiana Tech and basically mentored me and said, 'You can do this, don't get out of the business.' You can have a baby and raise a child, and you can be a great coach."

The Tigers won the contest against Florida 80-63. It didn't start well as LSU trailed 21-15 in the first quarter but gained a 37-33 lead at the break. Mikaylah Williams led the squad with 22 points and eight rebounds while Aneesah Morrow dropped a 20 points and 10 rebounds double-double. Liv McGill led Florida with 21 points and six assists.

Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal was also present in Gainesville to watch her daughter Me’Arah O’Neal. The freshman came off the bench to see 15 minutes of action. She went 0 for 4 from the field while garnering seven rebounds and one assist.

Kim Mulkey and LSU face its toughest contest next

On Thursday, the Tigers (20-0, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) will have to put its best foot forward to protect its undefeated record when they visit the defending champions, South Carolina (18-1, 6-0 SEC). It will be the toughest-ranked game of the year for Kim Mulkey's squad yet.

Moreover, LSU also lacks experience in facing AP-ranked teams. It will be the third such game of the season for the Lady Tigers and the ninth for the Gamecocks.

The two programs last met for the 2024 SEC Championship game. While Dawn Staley's team won 79-72, it came after a heated moment occurred between several players.

A scuffle began after Gamecocks' Kamilla Cardoso shoved Flau'jae Johnson on the floor in the fourth quarter, ejecting five South Carolina players and one from Kim Mulkey's rotation. Staley currently leads the head-to-head series (5-2) against Mulkey.