“‘I’ve just gotta go with what I've got’, ouch!”: Hoops analyst senses “shade” from Kim Mulkey for LSU after loss vs Dawn Staley’s South Carolina

Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers suffered their first defeat of the season Friday, falling 66-56 to the South Carolina Gamecocks at Colonial Life Arena. Basketball analyst Elle Duncan suggested the LSU coach may have thrown shade at her own team following the loss during Tuesday's episode of "The Elle Duncan Show" on ESPN.

Mulkey marveled at the depth of South Carolina's roster in the postgame press conference, saying she didn't know if she had ever coached against a team with 10 McDonald's All-Americans in the lineup. Duncan pointed out that Mulkey might have implied her team lacked talent compared to Dawn Staley's Gamecocks.

"The shade I sensed was I understood what she was saying. It was the slight at her own team. ‘I’ve just gotta go with what I’ve got,’ ouch!” Duncan said (Timestamp 22:20).

"By comparison, yes, South Carolina has 10 All-Americans, LSU has three. In my mind, it felt like you’re minimizing a little bit of the system and of Dawn’s coaching by just saying if you’ve got 10 All-Americans, you flip a coin and play any of them."

Kim Mulkey's roster was exposed in the game against South Carolina, with the LSU coach utilizing mainly a seven-player rotation. It didn’t help that two of her key players got into foul trouble in the second half of the SEC showdown.

Flau'jae Johnson picked up her fourth foul midway through the fourth quarter and had to sit for more than three minutes. Aneesah Morrow failed to finish the contest after fouling out with 46.3 seconds remaining in the final period.

"I don't know that I've ever coached against a team that has 10 McDonald's All-Americans on the roster," Mulkey said postgame. "That’s what we faced today, and what a challenge it was. It was an enjoyable game to coach in. It was good for women’s basketball and man was it good for the SEC."

"I don't have that. I got to go with what I have what I feel in my gut. Fatigue could play a part but I always tend to give credit to the opponent."

Kim Mulkey's LSU bounces back with win over Texas A&M

The LSU Tigers returned to winning ways on Sunday, beating the Texas A&M Aggies 64-51 at Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Two starters scored in double figures for the Tigers, who dropped two spots to No. 7 in the latest Associated Press rankings following their loss to South Carolina.

Head coach Kim Mulkey of the LSU Tigers talks to Flau'Jae Johnson (#4) in the second half during their game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Colonial Life Arena. Photo: Getty

Flau'jae Johnson delivered for Kim Mulkey on the offensive end, scoring 22 points on 7-for-18 shooting. She made a living at the charity stripe, draining all eight of her free-throw attempts. Johnson struggled, however, from beyond the arc, missing all five of her 3-point attempts.

Aneesah Morrow came close to recording another double-double, scoring 19 points and grabbing nine boards in 34 minutes of action.