Kim Mulkey and Flau’jae Johnson helped the LSU Tigers conclude the 2025-26 regular season with a 29-5 record, including a 12-4 mark in SEC play, securing them a No. 2 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Lady Tigers easily eliminated No. 15 seed Jacksonville 116-58 in the first round, then upset No. 7 seed Texas Tech Red Raiders in the second round, advancing to the Sweet 16.
Johnson led LSU in the second-round triumph over Texas Tech, tying a team-high 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, as well as grabbing four rebounds and three assists. Guard Mikaylah Williams contributed 24 points, seven rebounds, and four assists for the Tigers. And as LSU prepares for the Sweet 16, Sunday’s game was Johnson’s final at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Mulkey, 63, is now one of the most successful coaches in women’s collegiate basketball history. She began her head coaching career with Baylor in 2000, guiding the team to three national championships and 11 Big 12 titles over the course of 21 seasons. Mulkey then transferred to LSU for the 2021-22 season, where she won another national title and her third Naismith College Coach of the Year honor.
Johnson has played under Mulkey for her whole collegiate career, having joined the Lady Tigers in 2022. However, after the triumph against Texas Tech, Johnson took a lighthearted jab at her head coach, eventually calling her old by joking that Mulkey has been coaching for 100 years, to which Mulkey replied, You just lost your starting position.
Johnson said it was an honor. She’s been coaching for around a century. I’m joking. Not long. Not that long… No, but Coach Mulkey is a veteran who has been doing this for a long time… Coach Mulkey has taught me so much, and she has truly shaped me into the player I am now. Honestly. From my freshman year until today, my mind has improved dramatically, which is all owing to Coach Mulkey.
Mulkey and Johnson will return to action on Friday as LSU plays the No. 3 seed Duke Blue Devils in the Sweet 16.
