Kim Mulkey's LSU Falls to UCLA in Elite Eight for Second Straight Year

The Tigers' 72-65 loss featured standout performances but was overshadowed by Mulkey's symbolic outfit and a tense postgame exchange with a student reporter.

LSU was eliminated from the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament by UCLA, losing 72-65 in the Elite Eight for the second consecutive year.
Flau'Jae Johnson scored a game-high 28 points for LSU, while UCLA's Gabriela Jaquez and Lauren Betts contributed 18 and 17 points respectively to secure the Bruins' victory.
Kim Mulkey wore a purple jacket adorned with magnolias, Louisiana's state flower, as a nod to her connection to the state and LSU's identity.
Postgame attention shifted to Mulkey's contentious exchange with a student reporter, where she questioned the framing of LSU's back-to-back Elite Eight exits.
The loss highlights LSU's challenges in advancing to the Final Four after their 2023 championship, as well as UCLA's rise as a top-seeded contender in women's college basketball.