"You're never going to see the floor": Kim Mulkey reveals her ultimatum to Kailyn Gilbert during LSU transfer portal recruitment

The No. 3 LSU Tigers have secured a spot in the Elite Eight of the 2025 March Madness after a strong 80-73 win against the No. 2 NC State Wolfpack on Friday.

Meanwhile, Kailyn Gilbert, one of the shortest players on LSU’s roster, made a game-changing defensive play that kept the Tigers' season alive. Gilbert's critical block in the final moments became a defining moment for her and the team.

During the postgame press conference, LSU coach Kim Mulkey was asked about Gilbert’s key defensive stop, especially given the player’s struggles on that end of the floor during the game. In response, Mulkey shared a candid story about Gilbert’s recruitment process, revealing her ultimatum and the expectations set when she transferred to LSU.

"Well, I'll tell you this great story about KG when she came to visit," Mulkey said (11:45). "We brought her in out of the portal, and Coach (Bob) Starkey and I sat down in my office. If you know anything about me, I’m going to be real and honest with you, and sometimes people can’t handle the honest truth. But I believe that if you bring in transfers, you better be real and honest with them and set expectations from the start.

"The majority of our conversation was about defense. We saw her on film and told her that the way she performed defensively wasn’t going to fly at LSU, you are never going to see the floor. We knew what she could do offensively, but she had to commit to defense.”

Gilbert played at Arizona for her first two seasons. She visited Baton Rouge to meet Mulkey and assistant coach Starkey, and after Mulkey made her defensive demands clear, Gilbert wasn't willing to back down from the challenge.

"I said, 'You know what? I understand that culture. I'm willing to lock in defensively,’” Gilbert said postgame.

LSU's Kailyn Gilbert makes a big block in the Sweet 16

In her postgame presser, Kailyn Gilbert admitted she was struggling defensively against Zoe Brooks, who had been hitting tough shots throughout the contest. With just over a minute remaining, Brooks appeared poised to score again, but the 5-foot-8 Gilbert saw an opportunity and reacted.

Despite her height disadvantage, Gilbert leaped up and swatted the ball away, marking just the second block of her career. This defensive stand proved to be a key moment, ensuring LSU’s continued NCAA Tournament run.

Kim Mulkey reflected on Gilbert’s journey and the conversation that made her realize the player was ready to take defense seriously during the postgame press conference.

“I’ll never forget this moment in my coaching career," Mulkey said. "She (Gilbert) sat up in her chair, leaned toward me, and said, Coach, now, I’m just going to be honest. I told her that would be a good place to start. She said, 'I’ve never worried about the defensive end because I always thought I’d get it back for you on the offensive end…’

“…Now, that’s the mentality of probably every player, but for her to say it in that moment allowed me to make it clear she had to play defense here. Watching her improve her on-ball defense every day in practice, getting better and better, and then seeing her make a defensive play after getting beat off the dribble, it’s only fitting that we talk about that in this game.”

After Gilbert’s block, teammate Shayeann Day-Wilson managed to keep the ball in play, passing it to Mikaylah Williams, who drove to the basket for a layup. This crucial play gave LSU a 74-73 lead, shifting the momentum in its favor.