Flau'jae Johnson's mom Kia Brooks hypes Kailyn Gilbert as LSU star torches Tennessee: "Once she start smiling, them folks in trouble"

Flau'jae Johnson's mom, Kia Brooks, hyped guard Kailyn Gilbert after her high-octane performance against No. 19 Tennessee on Sunday. LSU Tigers posted a photo of the junior on its Instagram handle, capturing Gilbert laughing during her sideline interview.

Brooks commented on the post, highlighting Gilbert's basketball caliber and dedication to winning:

"Once she start smiling them folks in trouble !!❤️," she wrote.

Kia Brooks comments on LSU's post to support Gilbert | via @lsuwbkb/ig

Kailyn Gilbert came off the bench to post 23 points in 22 minutes for one of the most impactful outings of her career. 21 of those points came after the break when Tennessee looked to mount a comeback.

Gilbert was aggressive throughout the second half, shooting 7 of 15 from the field (3 of 4 from the 3-point line). Her hot streak began when Flau'jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow were forced to the bench due to foul troubles.

Kailyn Gilbert utilized the minutes, scoring 14 points in a 4:36 minute stretch (5:38 to 1:02) in the third quarter and made multiple go-ahead baskets throughout the half. Her ability to find open lanes and break defense enabled her to go 6 of 7 from the charity stripe.

"That might have been where the game was won because when you take your two of your three main players and they're sitting over there on the bench, you wonder how your bench and your players that you have on the floor are going to respond and I thought they handled themselves beautifully," coach Kim Mulkey said after the game.

Kailyn Gilbert jokes about added motivation for Tennessee game

Despite coming off the bench in both of LSU's games against Tenessee this season, Kailyn Gilbert has dropped at least 20 points in the matchups. When asked about her consistent production against the Lady Vols, the guard joked that it was a redemption for not being prioritized by the program when she was in the portal.

"I could say that they picked up the phone too late in the portal," she said. "So, I was kind of upset about that, so yeah that's kind of where you get that fight from every time I played them."

Gilbert scored 22 points, five rebounds and two steals in 30 minutes against Tennessee on Jan. 9, helping the Tigers to an 89-87 win. She played two years for Arizona Wildcats, starting 19 games and averaging 15.1 points per game in her sophomore year.