"They only scored 7 more points than we did": Kim Mulkey speaks out on intense defensive battles against Vic Schaefer's Texas

The LSU Tigers, coached by Kim Mulkey, are now preparing for the much-awaited 2025 national tournament after being eliminated from the 2025 SEC tournament. On Saturday, the No. 9-ranked team lost 56-49 to the top-ranked Texas Longhorns in the conference semifinal.

It was a low-scoring affair, as Mulkey and Co. held the top-seeded program nationwide to one of their lowest-scoring averages of the 2024-2025 season. Banking on their defense, they fell short to the Vic Schaefer-coached Texas team but will undoubtedly prepare them for March's winner-take-all tourney.

In an exclusive interview with Bayou Ford's 104.5 ESPN on YouTube earlier on Tuesday, Mulkey spoke about her Tigers's defensive battles with Schaefer's Longhorns, alluding to the toughening they endured against them.

"You got two coaches that stress defense. I mean everytime we play each other, it's going to be an ugly game because it's going to be a defensive battle," Mulkey said. "So, I'm like, we struggled, but that team plays defense. But, guess what? That's the number one team in the country, and they only scored seven more points than we did." (5:25 onwards)

With key defensive cogs like Mikaylah Williams and Aneesah Morrow, coach Mulkey has the tools to proceed in the national tournament, prioritizing stopping their opponents from scoring the ball. The expected return of veteran scorer Flau'jae Johnson is also a huge boost, especially if they may face the Longhorns once more.

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Kim Mulkey details how she prepares her players for the national tournament

Later in the interview, Kim Mulkey shared how - considering she and the rest of the LSU Tigers are in for another national tournament berth - she prepares her whole program for it just after hotly contested SEC tournaments. For her players, Mulkey always makes sure their momentum is there despite the null period.

"We will work on us. We'll get up and down the floor Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Maybe scrimmage the guys a little bit and stay in that flow, stay in that rhythm," Mulkey added. "One day it may be all defense, one day it may be all offense. Call out quick hitters, call out plays. Keep their mind fresh." (8:45)

Mulkey and the rest of the Tigers are going for their fourth straight March Madness appearance in her coaching era. Their goal is to reclaim the national title after winning it in 2023 for the first time in program history.