By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
Women’s college basketball fans are getting exactly what they wanted.
The No. 6 LSU women’s basketball team will face No. 3 South Carolina in the most anticipated rematch of the season in the SEC Tournament semifinals on Saturday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina (3:30 p.m., ESPN2).
LSU senior guard Flau’jae Johnson said she and her teammates are looking forward to facing the Gamecocks for the second time this season.
“I’m super excited,” Johnson said on Friday. “This is what the SEC is about. You play the toughest team all the time, ranked opponent after ranked opponent. We’re so excited. It’s going to be fun. We’re in South Carolina, so they’re going to have a crowd. Our Tigers are coming too. So, it’s going to be a great battle.”
LSU (27-4, 12-4 Southeastern Conference) has dropped its last 18 matchups against South Carolina (30-2, 15-1 SEC), dating back to January of 2012. Saturday’s meeting carries even more significance, as the Tigers could secure a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament with two more wins this weekend. They’ll have to do it in what will essentially be a home environment for South Carolina.
Even with a No. 1 seed and the program’s first SEC Tournament title since 2003 within reach, head coach Kim Mulkey does not view Saturday’s game as the ultimate goal.
“Yes, you want to win a championship, but it’s not more important than what we’re going to all see in a couple of weeks,” Mulkey said after the win against Oklahoma on Friday.
But it does not change the fact that Mulkey is 0-6 against South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley during her tenure at LSU. In their 79-72 loss in February, the Tigers struggled at the free-throw line, shooting 14-for-23, but that wasn’t the only reason they lost the game. If LSU hopes to snap South Carolina’s 18-game winning streak, it will need consecutive play from its top players.
Junior guard MiLaysia Fulwiley will be one of the key players LSU needs to perform well on Saturday. She is averaging 20.8 points per game over her last five contests.
In February’s narrow loss to South Carolina, Fulwiley struggled, scoring just six points on 1-of-8 shooting while committing three turnovers. Fulwiley said it will be a different game this time around now that she has regained the confidence she felt was missing earlier in the season against her former team.
“I remember now I’m a new player – new mindset right now – so I’m ready,” Fulwiley said after LSU’s win over Oklahoma on Friday.
Went to the LSU locker room to talk to MiLaysia Fulwiley about facing @GamecockWBB in tomorrow's semifinal.
— Matt Dowell (@MattDowellTV) March 6, 2026
Here's all the questions and answers regarding tomorrow's matchup: pic.twitter.com/tFycYVQGy9
Junior guard Mikaylah Williams will also need to be more productive in the rematch. Williams, who is averaging 18 points per game in her last five games, scored 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting in the Valentine’s Day heartbreaker. Williams said she now feels as confident as she has all season.
“I have continued to work hard, continued to work on my shot,” Williams said on Friday. “I thank my teammates for continuing to pass me the ball and trust me with those shots. It’s (her shot) finally falling, and it’s the right time to be falling too.”
LSU will also need to do a better job containing South Carolina senior forward Madina Okot. Okot dominated the first matchup in Baton Rouge, finishing with 12 points and 17 rebounds while making life difficult for the Tigers in the paint on the defensive end.
No matter the outcome, Mulkey expects Saturday’s game to deliver.
“I expect two teams that respect each other, that are good for the SEC, good for women’s basketball, and they’re competitors,” Mulkey said. “It will be good for the game. It will be good TV, and I don’t anticipate anything but it being a good game.”
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