By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
LSU and South Carolina women’s basketball coaches Kim Mulkey and Dawn Staley share an extensive history. They are the only two coaches who have both reached the Final Four as players and won a national championship as head coaches. Their head-to-head history dates back to 2018.
Mulkey is 2–6 all-time against Staley and 0–5 against her since becoming LSU’s head coach before the 2021-22 season. No one has ever had Mulkey’s number quite like Staley, who has won six straight against the four-time national champion coach and Naismith Basketball and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.
Mulkey, 63, has not beaten Staley, 55 and a three-time national champion coach herself, since March 30, 2019, when Mulkey’s Baylor team won, 93-68, in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in Greensboro, North Carolina. And Mulkey went on to win her third national title at Baylor that season. Mulkey was 2-0 versus Staley at the time as Baylor defeated South Carolina, 94-69, earlier that same season on Dec. 2, 2018, at South Carolina.
Staley and South Carolina beat Mulkey and Baylor the next November, 74-59, in the Paradise Jam tournament at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, and won the next five.
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There is not a lot of love lost between the two coaches as they prepare to meet again on Valentine’s Night Saturday. No. 6 LSU (22-3, 8-3 SEC for 5th) hosts No. 3 South Carolina (24-2, 10-1 SEC for 1st) at 7:30 p.m. on ABC at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Here’s a look at the eight previous matchups:
1. No. 4 Baylor 94, No. 18 South Carolina 69 … Dec. 2, 2018 … Columbia, South Carolina
Mulkey’s dominant Baylor team overwhelmed Staley’s young Gamecocks in the coaches’ first-ever meeting. The Bears opened the game hot, hitting seven of their first 10 shots to build a commanding 16–3 lead. Baylor controlled the paint the rest of the night, outscoring South Carolina, 52–28, as round one went to Mulkey.
“We’re big and you better worry about our post game, but you better respect out perimeter game,” Mulkey said.
“I wish it was one of those years we could have got them at full strength,” Staley said after losing WNBA superstar A’ja Wilson to the draft prior to the 2018-19 season.
STATISTICS
C Kelani Brown (Baylor): 22 points (7-13 FGs), 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
G Chloe Jackson (Baylor): 19 points (9-13 FGs), 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal
G Te’a Cooper (South Carolina): 16 points (5-13 FGs), 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal
2. No. 1 Baylor 93, No. 4 South Carolina 68 … March 30, 2019 … NCAA Sweet 16…Greensboro, N.C.
Mulkey and Staley’s second match-up closely resembled their first. Baylor again dominated the paint, outscoring South Carolina 58-28 inside, while its defense held the Gamecocks to 33 percent shooting. The win sent Baylor to another Elite Eight, and Mulkey ultimately captured her third national championship as a head coach.
“We’re on a roll, and that’s what it takes in the playoffs. You need to stay healthy and have a little bit of luck,” Mulkey said.
“This was their first time (so deep in the tournament), and to ask them to perform at a high level against a national championship-contender team was a bit much,” Staley said. “We didn’t want to mention that, but when you actually have to decompress and look at it, it’s hard for them to be able to do that at this level.”
STATISTICS
G DiDi Richards (Baylor): 25 points (11-14 FGs), 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal
C Lauren Cox (Baylor): 17 points (4-9 FGs), 14 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 5 blocks
G Te’a Cooper (South Carolina): 17 points (5-9 FGs).
3. No. 5 South Carolina 74, No. 2 Baylor 59 … Nov. 30, 2019 … Paradise Jam Tournament … St. Thomas
Staley’s first victory over Mulkey came just seven months after being eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by her. After being dominated by Baylor in the paint in the first two matchups, Staley had an answer this time. Freshman Aliyah Boston delivered a standout performance with 20 points and 13 rebounds to help lift South Carolina over. It also helped that Bears’ veteran 6-foot-4 All-American forward/center Lauren Cox was sidelined with a broken foot. The Gamecocks held Baylor to 35 percent shooting.
“What we were able to do was convert. We were real deliberate with who we wanted to have the ball and where we wanted the shots to come from,” Staley said.
“It’s hard to compete without your leader,” Mulkey said of the absence of Cox.
STATISTICS
F NaLyssa Smith (Baylor): 18 points (9-22 FGs), 10 rebounds
F Aliyah Boston (South Carolina): 20 points (9-12 FGs), 13 rebounds, 2 blocks
4. No. 1 South Carolina 66, No. 13 LSU 60 … Jan. 6, 2022 … Baton Rouge
Mulkey’s first match-up as LSU’s coach against Staley did not disappoint. The Tigers led by as 19-13 after the first quarter and would lead by as many as 10 at 32-22 with 4:09 to go in the first half in front of a wild crowd of 9,190 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
South Carolina drew within 34-28 at the half and took over the game after halftime, winning the third quarter, 19-10 and the second half, 38-26. South Carolina junior forward Aliyah Boston dominated with 19 points and 18 rebounds as the Gamecocks controlled the boards, 48-23.
“Before the game I told the girls that they needed to be able to rebound. We tried. That was the difference in the game, and I knew that would be the difference in the game,” Mulkey said. “How did we stay close in this game? The 21 turnovers (by South Carolina). That was the only way. That is big girl basketball. They played their hearts out. The crowd was great. Sorry we didn’t win it, but we came a long way, and I just have to give the girls credit. They were in there battling.”
Let the “Countdown” begin 6 days away @LSUwbkb host @GamecockWBB. Dawn Staley 4 years ago addressing @JacquesDoucet’s question… pic.twitter.com/ZXlHOV1gIj
— richard condon (@CondonBeingReal) February 8, 2026
Staley had a strange comment after the game when asked how much improved LSU was under Mulkey, who was 14-2 (2-1 SEC) after the loss. Previous coach Nikki Caldwell was 9-13 (6-8 SEC) the prior season and failed to reach the NCAA Tournament three times in her last six seasons with two losing campaigns and three first round NCAA Tournament exits.
“I thought Nikki did a great job getting the most out of ’em,” Staley said and laughed. “I mean, if she got the support that Kim is getting and the energy in the building. I mean, it’s going to raise the level of play. So, the people in the building will allow that to happen. If Nikki got a chance to do that, maybe (laughs again), she’s still sitting here.”
STATISTICS
G Khayla Pointer (LSU): 22 points (10-26 FGs), 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal
F Aliyah Boston (SCAR): 19 points (6-13 FGs), 18 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 3 blocks
5. No. 1 South Carolina 88, No. 3 LSU 64…Feb. 12, 2023…Columbia, South Carolina
LSU and South Carolina were both undefeated entering Mulkey and Staley’s fifth matchup, a showdown for first place in the SEC that would give the winner an edge for the regular season title. From start to finish, LSU was overmatched. The Tigers were outrebounded, 43-25.
Mulkey didn’t win this one, but she ultimately got the last laugh, capturing her fourth national championship – and first with LSU – later that season. Because Iowa and national sensation Caitlin Clark beat South Carolina in the national semifinals. And LSU and Angel Reese beat Iowa and Clark for the title.
“I’ll give my utmost respect and comments about how good they are, how big they are, how tall they are,” Mulkey said. “It’s South Carolina in my opinion, and everyone else. And after playing them today, my opinion on that has not changed. They have things that we don’t have and a lot of the teams in the country don’t have. We aspire to be there one day.”
STATISTICS
G Alexis Morris (LSU): 23 points (11-29 FGs), 6 rebounds
C Kamilla Cardoso (South Carolina): 18 points (7-9 FGs), 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks
6. No. 1 South Carolina 76, No. 9 LSU 70 … Jan. 25, 2024 … Baton Rouge
Mulkey remained winless against Staley at LSU after her team couldn’t hold its lead entering the fourth quarter. South Carolina outscored LSU 24-14 in the final period. Junior forward Angel Reese fouled out with just over four minutes remaining, and the Gamecocks capitalized, closing the game on a 10-3 run.
“Once we settled in, it was a dogfight and it was a game of runs,” Staley said. “They made big plays, we made big plays. It was the team that made the last play that was going to win this.”
LSU missed Reese.
“When you don’t have Angel Reese on the floor the last four minutes of the game, it takes you out of your rhythm,” Mulkey said. “It takes you out of your confidence. The game came down to exactly what it usually does. It’s toughness, it’s experience.”
STATISTICS
F Chloe Kitts (South Carolina): 14 points (6-9 FGs), 3 rebounds, 1 assist
F Kamilla Cardoso (South Carolina): 11 points (5-11 FGs), 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks
F Aneesah Morrow (LSU): 16 points (7-11 FGs), 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks
7. No. 1 South Carolina 79, No. 8 LSU 72 … March 10, 2024 … SEC Tournament Title … Greenville, S.C.
LSU and South Carolina met for the second time in 2024, and it was an action-packed battle for the SEC Tournament championship. The Tigers threatened late, but ultimately couldn’t complete a comeback. South Carolina guard MiLaysia Fulwiley was unstoppable, scoring 24 points in just 17 minutes off the bench as a true freshman. The game ended in controversy when a fight broke out between LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson and South Carolina forward Kamilla Cardoso, resulting in multiple ejections.
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“We’re playing some good basketball right now. That’s just the God’s truth,” Mulkey said. “South Carolina has a lot of depth. One kid, basically, hurt us today and that was Fulwiley (now at LSU). You look at the stats, and how can you not leave here and go, ‘God, I wish the playoffs started next week?'”
STATISTICS
G MiLaysia Fulwiley (SCAR): 24 points (8-12 FGs), 2 assists, 2 steals
F Aneesah Morrow (LSU): 19 points (5-18 FGs), 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals
8. No. 2 South Carolina 66, No. 5 LSU 56 … Jan. 24, 2025 … Columbia, South Carolina
Mulkey and Staley’s last meeting was a defensive battle, but the Gamecocks pulled away in the second half. LSU shot a season-low 30 percent and turned the ball over 17 times, ruining an excellent effort on the glass as the Tigers outrebounded the Gamecocks, 51-39.
“I thought our defense and South Carolina’s defense was good,” Mulkey said. “Both teams scouted each other pretty darn good. It wasn’t an entertaining game from an offensive standpoint, but I didn’t think it was a boring game.”
STATISTICS
F Aneesah Morrow (LSU): 15 points (6-19 FGs), 16 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
F Joyce Edwards (SCAR): 14 points (5-11 FGs), 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
Bring on the next one!
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