LSU HC Kim Mulkey identifies key to stopping UCLA's Lauren Betts

LSU women’s basketball faces one of its toughest challenges this season as it prepares to take on UCLA in the Elite Eight on Sunday afternoon. A major focus of the contest will be on the battle inside the paint between the Tigers unit and Bruins standout center Lauren Betts.

Ahead of the matchup, LSU coach Kim Mulkey shared her thoughts on the team’s approach. Speaking to the media on Saturday, she emphasized the importance of rebounding and acknowledged the challenge Betts presents, identifying areas to stop her.

“I think we rebound the ball pretty darn good for our size,” Mulkey said (6:55). "Nees being an undersized post player, she can get up. Now, we're very cognizant of the fact that Betts is pretty big in there, and whatever offensive board we get, we may not score on it because she can block it.

“But just getting an offensive rebound against UCLA would be good. It gives us another chance to try to score the ball.”

Mulkey further elaborated on LSU’s mentality, recognizing UCLA’s size advantage but reinforcing her belief in her team’s effort and heart.

“But we're going to rebound. We're going to try our best to rebound with them," Mulkey said. "They're big, they're big at all positions, they're bigger than we are... I always have a philosophy that you can't measure heart. Go play.”

“Special Talent”: LSU coach Kim Mulkey praises Lauren Betts ahead of the game

If UCLA continues its impressive tournament run and wins the national championship, Lauren Betts will likely be a key reason for the Bruins' success. LSU understands that slowing her down is essential to advancing to the Final Four.

In the pregame press conference, Mulkey praised Betts for her talent while expressing confidence that LSU has the intangibles to compete.

“Just watching her from high school until today, it's amazing how good she is,” Mulkey said (0:40). "Certainly, her height is an advantage and we're not going to grow that tall overnight. But we have to battle and do the best we can.”

When asked about coaching dominant post players in the past and how that experience might help in this matchup, Mulkey reflected on Betts’ development:

“She has just improved so much. Every time I watch her play, she does something really, really good, and I go, Hmm, that's a lot of work. She's a special talent.”

Betts posted 30 points and 14 rebounds in UCLA’s second-round victory over Richmond. She is one of only three players in the last 25 seasons to record multiple games with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers vs. Bruins Elite Eight matchup will tip off at 3 p.m. EDT. It will air on ABC and can also be streamed on SlingTV, DirecTV Stream or FuboTV.