Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers didn't get the ending they wanted at the Sweet Sixteen in Fort Worth, but the longtime coach told reporters after the game she knows how to move forward.
"I've been doing this a long time. I lost a national championship with 7/10ths of a second to go. So I've been in those situations before. And I feel the same. It's heartbreaking for your team. It's heartbreaking for your players and fans," she said.
When she's found herself in these positions, Mulkey added, her responsibility is to her team first. "It takes a while to get over it, but you go in the locker room and you hug their necks and you tell them what a wonderful year we had," she continued. "And you put yourself in a position to win the game. You put yourself in a position to win the game and a crazy shot like that beats you."
LSU's loss against Duke came down to a buzzer beater fired off by Ashlon Jackson at the very end of the game. The shot sent the Blue Devils over the Tigers 87-85 and ended the match. While the loss was a difficult one for the Tigers, the moment provided a career first for Jackson. She told reporters after the game that she'd never successfully fired off a buzzer beater before, and the way the ball went in — circling the rim for what felt like an eternity before dropping — "felt like a dream."
The moment also came after LSU came back from an 11-point deficit, which happened partially after Mikaylah Williams successfully sank two free throws with just over 9 seconds left in the match.
LSU has four seniors graduating from the program
The Tigers will say goodbye to four seniors this year: Amiya Joyner, Flau'jae Johnson, Izzy Besselman, and Kailyn Gilbert. The group played their final game at home at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center last week before the Sweet Sixteen began.
The ending of the game was an emotional one for Johnson, who has been the face of the team for years. Johnson had high praise for the fans who came out to see her play throughout her collegiate career, and especially Sunday. She said she "lost it" when she embraced Coach Mulkey on the sidelines after checking out for the final time at home, and admitted that wasn't a surprise.