"We were the underdogs": Kim Mulkey makes her feelings known on Elite Eight loss vs. Caitlin Clark's Iowa

Kim Mulkey and the LSU Lady Tigers were defeated 72-65 by the UCLA Bruins in the 2025 NCAA women's basketball tournament. Before the 2025 season, their dreams of bagging a national title were shattered by Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Angel Reese, Hailey Van Lith, Flau'jae Johnson and other LSU hoopers had successfully defeated UCLA in the Sweet 16 but were not an equal match for Clark and company.

When Kim Mulkey appeared on WAFB9 Sports on Wednesday, she opened up about the matchup (from 13:11 to 13:50):

"You're playing a team that was a one seed, right? Yeah. You're playing against Clark, who is just exploding that year. It wasn't like we were playing, you know, somebody that was a four and five seed. We were the underdog. We were not supposed to win that game, and we fought and lost by seven."

Mulkey related the 2024 Elite Eight loss to this year's and said:

"Ironically, we lost by seven this year in the Elite Eight. So, maybe seven is an unlucky number in some respects, but lucky in that Morrow was the seventh pick. Angel Reese was the seventh pick. I'm not a gambler, but maybe seven can be lucky and unlucky."

The 2024 Elite Eight game, a rematch of the 2023 national championship game, ended with Iowa winning 94-87.

Kim Mulkey opens up on losing players to the NCAA transfer portal

After the end of the 2024-25 season, many players entered the transfer portal to find new homes. Since the beginning of the NIL era, there's been a noticeable rise in college athletes entering the transfer portal. This trend has made player retention a topic of concern for many coaches during the recruitment process, and Kim Mulkey is no exception.

She saw five LSU Lady Tigers enter the transfer portal: Sa'Myah Smith, Last-Tear Poa, Aalyah Del Rosario, Jersey Wolfenbarger and Amani Bartlett.

Mulkey opened up about losing five players and said this during the same WAFB9 Sports interview:

"I don't have animosity, I don't have anger toward any of these players. What I want for them is happiness. Now, do I believe in my heart of hearts that you're gonna be any happier somewhere else? Maybe if you get more playing time.

"But as you see, not just at LSU but across the country, starters are transferring, All-Americans are transferring." (19:59 to 20:23)

Mulkey said various reasons, like earning more playing time or getting offered more NIL money, motivate a player to transfer.