LSU Kim Mulkey LOSS to Iowa in Elite 8 postgame, Flau'jae, Angel Reese & Van Lith

welcome media we are joined by LSU coach

Kim mky and the student athletes Flo

Johnson Angel Ree and Haley van lith and

we'll open with comments from the coach

thank you I'm

good good to go thank you let's start

with the student athlete questions up

here first

Pat eeden Rob with the Associated Press

angel I know it hurts now but you had

mentioned just kind of what a wild ride

this team has been on for the last year

can you kind of describe what it's meant

to you what it's been like for you both

the the positives and the you know the

negatives yeah we we we we've seen

everything this year um we have been

through so much adversity so I'm more

than proud of this team um we don't have

that much debt we had some injuries some

time I took some time away from the team

um so many things happened this year and

so many things hit us and we never

folded and just being able to come out

tonight and give our all for 40 minutes

we didn't we came up short but we we we

we have to keep our heads

High Andre Adon with the ESPN for Angel

we saw you go into I think fell into the

cameras uh in the second quarter um did

you twist your ankle at all would be the

the first question did that affect you

for the rest of the game if if it did

affect you yeah I did roll my ankle on

one of the cameras um and I mean I'm

tough so I tried to play through it of

course and this is something that has

been going on for a little while now but

I played through it and I'm not going to

make that an excuse um for the rest of

my play for the

game go ahead uh Michael Cobell WBZ TV

in Baton Rouge for Haley and for f just

what a tough cover Caitlyn is I mean

obviously you were fighting all night

but uh just the challenge that that she

presents yeah uh Caitlyn's very skilled

she's a great player um she hit some

tough shots um and there's not a whole

lot you can do about some of the three

she hit um and I think you know her role

the team around her that plays a role

they did a good job of executing their

role so you know ultimately they played

better than us and that's what it

was right behind NOP behind

thank

you hi uh sorry uh M Adler from the next

FL J wanted to ask specifically just

sort of going off that last question you

know you had a few possessions against

Caitlyn down in the fourth quarter you

able to force some turnovers for some

misses what went into you know taking on

that matchup and uh trying to help spark

a a run I mean U you study her film I

think my length kind of bothered her um

I'm aggressive I just wasn't scared you

know what I'm saying when you play a

player like that like you got to look

him in the eyes and really take on that

challenge um just tried to force her to

her left I know she wanted to step back

and my length can you know bother her a

little bit but you know I got to be

better Howard my do the next um

congratulations to the season you guys

have had flj if I could hear you uh on

Angel and the type of leadership that

she's provided for this team and Angel

can you just take me through what it

meant to see what FJ was able to do in a

game like this to you know put up 23

points and and be a factor in

bro let me tell you

something everybody could have their

opinion on Angel

Reese uh but y'all don't know her put

your hand like y'all don't know Angel

Reese I know Angel Reese I know the real

angel Reese and the person I see every

day is a strong person is a caring

loving person bro the crown she wear is

heavy

bro she's the type of teammate that's

going to make you believe in yourself

the the leap that I took for my freshman

the sophomore year Angel gave me that

confidence to go be a dog playing next

to a dog every

day and you know just to see how the

media ridicule her went through our

problems but like this my sister right

here and I'm so proud of her like the

media y'all how they like to twist and

call her a villain and all of that y'all

don't know Angel bro and I'm just happy

that I get to play with her I get to be

around her presence her energy is

different like she she just make me a

better player she make me a better

player and that's what great players do

I'll say something too um I think you

know Angel is one of the toughest people

I've been around facts um people speak

hate into her life I've never seen

people wish bad things on someone as

much as her and and it does not affect

her she comes to practice every day she

lives her life every day she she lives

how she wants to live and she don't let

nobody change that and you know that's

the that's the key to life right there

y'all do not get to her let me say it

again y'all do not get to Angel Reese so

you might want to give it up throw the

towel in cuz you're wasting your energy

so Angel's one of the toughest people

I've been

around right here go ahead uh D seski

outkick.com Angel do you have any

thoughts on your uh future plans in

basketball I'll make a decision when I'm

ready uh jacqu did you say wab TV and

Baton Rouge to to you need the players

the third quarter what what do you think

kind of went wrong there it seems like

you little snake bit balls just rolled

off the rim and some tough turnovers and

so

forth yeah it's pretty much it they uh

they outscored Us in the third

quarter um I think that was just

experience turnovers like you said I I

take that on the chin I feel like I got

to be better uh just just communicating

with my team better getting us into the

offense better like I got to be better I

think as a team that third quarter you

know kind of went under never came back

up per se you know what I'm saying but

it was just it was small mistakes those

everything everyday things we do in

practice that you know bad pass here

turnover here defense Mis execution

transition you know what I'm saying so

it's going to be things that we got to

clean up but we take that on the

chin what up okay go ahead right here I

didn't have a you you had your hand up

go behind then you did

Ben Pikman from the athletic um this is

for flag Angel it seemed like Angel when

you fouled out you walked over to the

sideline and you put your arm around

and FL put your arm around you um just

what did you guys say in that moment and

what was that moment like for you both

yeah just telling her just to keep

leading the team um and don't give up

and keep fighting I mean f has done a

great job when I'm down or not having my

best game being able to have a player

like a teammate like f as a sophomore

only a sophomore Step Up and just lead

the team and through everything she's

led the team throughout the whole year

so we've had that relationship and just

being able to talk to her in that moment

was great yeah she was just just like

they said she was just holding me

accountable you know I was telling

her cheer us on cheer us on keep us

going you know what I'm saying that's

all I could do right

there Erica L aala with CBS sports.com

Angel this question will be for you if

if you are willing to share what was

going through your mind as you heard

your two teammates right here on the de

just taking the the opportunity to to

really stand up for you and and what

your journey has been like that we don't

get to

see I don't really get to stand up for

myself I

mean I have great teammates I have a

great support system I got my hometown I

got my family that stands up for me I

don't really get to speak out on things

just because I just try to ignore and I

just try to stand strong like I've been

through so much I've seen so much I've

been attacked so many

times death threats I've been sexualized

I've been threatened I've been so many

things and I've stood strong every

single time and I just try to stand

strong for my teammates because I don't

want them to see me down and like not be

there for them

so I just want to always just know like

I'm still human like

all this has happened since I won the

national championship and I said the

other day I haven't had peace since then

and it sucks and but I still wouldn't

change I wouldn't change anything and I

would still sit here and say like I'm

unapologetically me I'm going to always

leave that Mark and be who I am and

stand on that and hopefully the little

girls that look up to me and hopefully I

give them some type of inspiration that

know hopefully it's not this hard and

all the things that come at you but keep

being who you are keep waking up every

day keep Mo being motiv staying who you

are stay in t toes don't back down and

just be

confident this is for uh cam can you

talk a little bit let's wait till they

leave sure sure um only players right

now thank you sure sorry about that this

for Ang uh can I same question for Angel

and all three of you what what is the

impact of the LSU Iowa rivalry on

women's basketball let's start with

angel thank you um I think it's just

great for the sport just being able to

be a part of History um like I said no

matter which way it went um tonight I

know this was going to be a night for

the ages and just being able to be a

part of history is great playing against

another great player of course is always

amazing in our viewership going up and

I'm sure so many different people

watched us tonight so I'm just happy to

be here I'm happy to just keep raising

women's sports not just women women's

basketball but just women's sports in

general

clj

yeah

um it's good for the game U women's

basketball has going to new heights I'm

happy to be a part of

it just happy

to happy to be a part of it you know

it's not all the times you get to see

players like Caitlyn Clark and anger

Rees you know what I'm saying and I'm

just blessed last year I was a freshman

seeing everything this year I'm a

sophomore able to um you know contribute

next year I'm going leave my mark

and grow the game

Haley yeah like they said I mean you

know it's an honor to be a part of it it

was an honor to be in that moment um and

the best thing about rivalries is they

don't end so LSU and Iowa will play each

other again and um you know we'll have

another opportunity last

one last one is here angel uh it seemed

like you had a nice uh um exchange with

the k in the handshake line you mind

sharing kind of what what you seem you

know what you told her yeah um she just

told me continue to be a great player

and I told her um continue to be a great

player as well and keep elevating the

game and go win

it thank you to the student athletes for

your time this week we appreciate it

thank you good

job good job bab good job y'all thank

you thank

you well now take questions for the

coach start here second

row hi coach uh two quick questions

first you know it seemed like where are

you from sorry yes identify name and

affiliation sorry M Adler from the next

uh two quick questions just what went

into the strategy in terms of how you

wanted to defend uh Caitlyn Clark um and

then also just wondering you know it

seemed like you had a long Embrace and

some kind boards for after the game in

the handshake line just wondering if if

you wanted to share what those were well

there's not a whole lot of

strategy you got to guard her nobody

else seems to be able to guard her we

didn't even guard her last year when we

beat him um she's just a generational

player and um she just makes everybody

around her

better that's what the great ones do I

think they had a kid that scored 21 and

18 she had 12

assists kayin 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 um what did I say to

her I said I sure am glad you

leaving I said girl you something else

never seen anything like

it right here and then up here Michael

Cobble WBZ TV uh were you surprised it

all at the pace of that first quarter

yes I um in talking to my team

we played to their

pace and

um back we ended the first quarter with

the

lead but back first I think their Pace

dictated um that third quarter I think

it really it really hit us in the third

quarter that

pace Kim Nancy armor USA Today sports

how hob or how limited was Angel and can

you talk about the performance that she

had despite that injury um I didn't ask

anybody you know how bad the sprain is

and honestly I'm assuming it's the same

ankle that she sprained in the

SEC um

tournament um but you're In the Heat of

the Moment you know she's

playing um trainer never came to see me

to give me any details you know so

I don't know that angel or I either one

would ever make an excuse that her being

hobbled was why we lost the

game Dan zesky outkick.com coach your

team wasn't on the floor during the

national anthem uh first part was that a

conscious decision on your part second

uh can you say what the team was doing

during that time honestly I don't even

know when the anthem was played we kind

of have a routine where we are on the

floor and then they come off at the 12

minute mark

that's um we just I don't know we come

in and we do our pregame

stuff um I'm sorry I listen that's

nothing intentionally

done uh jacqu did you say w TV and Baton

Rouge uh coach your players had some

very passionate and animated comments

just now about angel and treatment and

um criticism whatnot I just your

thoughts of what you just listened to

um I'm going to assume something here

now I'm going to assume they're talking

about social media attacks and I don't I

don't see all that I don't do social

media I thought it was

heartwarming I thought it was um

touching they are young people that are

on social media and that is their

teammate and um

it sounded like to me they've been

wanting to get that off their chest so I

just listened like you guys

[Music]

did read Darcy with the advocate and Ben

Rouge coach when you look back at this

season what do you think you're going to

remember and feel the most proud I'm

going to feel very

proud um I'm going to

um think

of the little things things that we

overcame that

um put us in an elite eight you're one

game away from going back to the final

four

and I'm going

to eventually think

of how did we get

here how did we get here here what did

we do as a team and as a staff to get to

this moment so basically I guess what

I'm telling you is you learn you learn I

learn every day as a

coach um I look at this stat sheet and I

just put a lot of little notes down

there and I'll file it away and think

about it when the emotion of a loss goes

away

um

we shot the ball y'all almost 20 times

more than they

did so that's the pace I'm talking

about and then you look at that

second and especially the third quarter

where we just miss

shots um you you'll dissect things like

that and um

yeah I could probably tell you a bunch

of things you'll dissect X's and O's

wise

um reverse the ball just a little bit

tougher in the

moment um depth I mean you could you

could just sit and talk all day about

the

game

um only one team finishes the season

happy and boy we got to do that last

year and somebody will get to do it this

year but everybody else is going to come

up

here and be sad and you know there's

nothing wrong with being sad if you're

not sad that means you didn't invest

much so those tears are tears of

investment P Rob from the Associated

Press Kim your players have talked about

how since a calendar year ago they have

become world famous for good for bad how

has that strengthened your team changed

these young women and what does it mean

for these the group going that that will

be coming back and going

forward T I've been doing this almost 40

years that doesn't count as a

player we've changed

people we've changed and we've

changed in so many good ways

and these young people will have a

memory of being a part of something that

was this great tonight being many of

them being a part of winning a

championship last

year

um I Can't Describe to

you how good it is right now in women's

basketball that's why I wish this game

could have been been at the final

four wow sure was good for an Elite 8

game and um we're proud to be a part of

that um good bad

indifferent

um our world our world has has changed a

lot when you talk about what they were

just talking about social

media I am honestly so oblivious to what

those kids see hear and even participate

in when it comes to social media I know

things when I need to know them from

coaches or administrators or I need to

address

things but I don't I don't invest in any

any of that I just I don't so if you

want me to know something you better

send it to me otherwise I don't see it

unless a family member or a team member

or somebody you know brings it to my

attention here and then the last one in

the middle go ahead hey coach Asar

Johnson from MV Sports um I wanted to

ask you at Haley van LIF it's clearly

her last last game um if you could just

and I'm pretty sure having a night she

had um if you just speak to the

contribution that she brought to this

team and everything that she's done cuz

one game doesn't Define anything I'm

pretty sure if anybody can speak on

Haley and her contribution you can well

I hope hope it's not her last game but

if it is I'm proud to have been her

coach for a year you know she's got

another year if she wants to come back

so does

angel uh I know they have to make

decisions but um the thing

that we talk about a lot on the men's

side we talk about one and done right

and how you know terrible that

is you know you go through a period you

can't have you know these players for

long periods of time man they're self

they going to take care of themselves

look everybody's different and they got

to do what they have to do Haley van

lith came to LSU after being an abundant

shooter shot it a lot at at Louisville

had great success was on good

teams but she wanted she graduated in

three years with a finance degree she

wanted to

experience all the things I guess she

saw from from on a from

afar with our championship last year and

for her to take that leap of faith and

leave her comfort zone at Louisville you

don't see many players do

that when she's was that big a piece to

their

puzzle um she has embraced learning a

new

position uh taking less shots

our last game against

UCLA I thought her stats were very good

but I'm an old point guard and I see all

that um forever indebted to Haley and

her unselfish play to come to LSU to

play with a lot of great players and

learn a new

position last one go ahead just the

growth that we've seen from FL ID again

an affiliation Michael Cobell WBZ TV and

bat R the growth we've seen from Fage

and for Angel to sit there and say you

know the leadership qualities that she

showed this year what does that do for

your team coming back next year well all

three of these young ladies were um

voted captains and for FL to be selected

as one of the captains as a

sophomore um pretty much sums it up uh

she is just a a person of Joy she just

plays the game with a lot of um heart

and she's learning to become a leader at

a young

age and um I'm glad I get to coacher

coach thank you very much for your time

this week you're

welcome