When the clock hit zero Monday night in Albany, it marked the end of LSU’s chances at repeating as national champions.
Despite the fight out of the No. 3 seed Tigers, Kim Mulkey’s crew was unable to contain the monster that is Caitlin Clark, as No. 1 seed Iowa punched its ticket to the Final Four with a 94-87 win over LSU. Clark put together one of her best performances of the season, dropping 41 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds en route to the Elite Eight victory.
As a result, Clark was the subject for a number of questions directed towards the Tigers after the game. Mulkey and the LSU contingent all praised the Iowa phenom after the game during the press conference.
“Yeah, Caitlin is very skilled,” Van Lith said after the game. “She’s a great player. She hit some tough shots. There’s not a whole lot you can do about some of the threes she hit.
“I think the team around her that plays a role, they did a good job of executing their role. Ultimately they played better than us, and that’s what it was.”
Mulkey is always good for a money quote or two. Whether it’s positive or negative depends on the situation, but she is as passionate as they come. Of course, everyone wanted to know what she said to Clark after the broadcast caught the two exchanging pleasantries during the handshake line after the game.
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What did Mulkey say about Clark? Here is what she revealed after her conversation with the Hawkeyes star.
What did Kim Mulkey say to Caitlin Clark?
Like her gold-and-purple-cladded players, it was a dejected Mulkey on the Tigers’ sidelines when the final buzzer rang at MVP Arena. However, the LSU head coach was nothing but respectful during the postgame handshake line, giving kudos to the Hawkeyes as she went down the row.
As expected, her exchange with Clark was a little longer. The Iowa senior was seen on the broadcast letting out a chuckle as Mulkey embraced her, bringing her in close to whisper something in her ear before moving on down the line.
Classy handshake line includes Kim Mulkey embracing/giving props to Caitlin Clark. Angel Reese and Clark with a quick nod of respect pic.twitter.com/v3E2vVP9S6
— Alyssa Charlston (@Alyssacharlston) April 2, 2024
MORE: What’s next for LSU after NCAA Tournament exit?
During Monday’s press conference, Mulkey was asked what she said to Clark after the loss, and the Tigers coach revealed a wholesome answer.
Kim Mulkey on what she told Caitlin Clark in the handshake line: “I sure am glad you leaving. Girl, you something else. Never seen anything like it.” 😅 pic.twitter.com/tIaW8ASBLD
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) April 2, 2024
“I said, ‘I sure am glad you leaving,'” Mulkey divulged about her quick conversation with Clark. “I said, ‘Girl, you something else.’ Never seen anything like it.”
Mulkey heaped piles of praise for Clark following her team’s loss. And what more could she do? She tried her best to implement a plan to stop Clark, which included Van Lith receiving a majority of the defensive responsibility. But there’s only so much you can ask when guarding a “generational player.”
“There’s not a whole lot of strategy [in defending Clark],” Mulkey said. “You’ve gotta guard her. Nobody else seems to be able to guard her. We didn’t even guard her last year when we beat them. She’s just a generational player and she just makes everybody around her better. That’s what the great ones do.
MORE: Inside Caitlin Clark’s record-setting Elite Eight win over LSU
“I think they had a kid that scored 21 and 18, she had 12 assists. Caitlin Clark’s not going to beat you by herself. It’s what she does to make those other teammates better that helps her score points, and them score points, to beat you.”
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