Kim Mulkey makes her feelings known about Flau'jae Johnson's performance vs South Carolina

No. 5 LSU coach Kim Mulkey had plenty to say after her team's first loss of the season at the hands of No. 2 South Carolina on Friday. She provided an analysis of the performance of star player Flau'jae Johnson, who had 13 points and four rebounds.

During the postgame conference, Mulkey was asked about the changes Dawn Staley's Gamecocks made to limit Johnson's production in the second half after a big first half.

She said (starting at the 2:14 mark):

"Nothing, just bowed their neck and contested shots and got physical. That was a very physical way. They'd have a hand on her when she tried to catch the ball. But that's the way we defend — that's basketball.

"Flau'jae guarded Paopao, right? Look at Paopao's stats. So Flau'jae had a decent day too. It's just, guys, in this game, it's just the little things that usually make the difference."

Flau'jae Johnson had 11 points in the first half but managed to score just two in the second half as the Gamecocks swarmed her defensively. She shot 6-for-18, including 1-for-4 from beyond the arc. The junior guard also had two steals and one assist in the losing effort.

South Carolina junior Te-Hina Paopao had only six points and, four rebounds and two assists.

Kim Mulkey credits South Carolina's depth for their big win

South Carolina's 66-56 victory over LSU was fueled by their remarkable depth, as coach Kim Mulkey noted after the game.

The Tigers had two points off the bench from Kailyn Gilbert, while the Gamecocks had 31 points from their reserves, including a team-high 14 points from Joyce Edwards.

"Look, I don't know that I've ever coached against a team that's got 10 McDonald's All-Americans on a roster," Mulkey said postgame. "How do you even keep 10 on a roster?"

"That's what we face today. What a challenge it was, and it was an enjoyable game to coach in. Man, was it good for women's basketball, but it was good for the SEC."

The depth and talent of the Gamecocks proved too much for Mulkey’s squad, even after a decent start. The Tigers led the defending national champions 22-21 in the first quarter, but South Carolina outscored them 45-34 over the final three quarters.

The Lady Tigers dropped to 20-1 (5-1 SEC) on the season, while the Gamecocks improved to 19-1 (7-0 SEC) with the victory..