LSU coach Kim Mulkey says she wishes South Carolina’s towering center Kamilla Cardoso pushed 6-foot-3 Tigers star Angel Reese instead of ‘little’ Flau’jae Johnson in ugly SEC Championship fight: ‘You’re 6-8!’

LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey has one regret about her team’s skirmish with South Carolina in the SEC championship: She wishes it was a fair fight.

With two minutes left in the top-ranked Gamecocks’ 79-72 victory over No. 8 LSU, South Carolina’s 6-foot-1 center Kamilla Cardoso pinned 6-foot-1 LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson pushed away, leading to a short circuit. row. Cardoso, Chloe Kitts, Tessa Johnson and Sakima Walker of South Carolina were all ejected, while Johnson’s brother, Trayron Lennoris Milton Jr., was arrested for storming the court.

When asked about the incident on Monday, Mulkey didn’t hold back. Instead, she suggested Cardoso pick a fight with someone her own size, like 6-foot-1 LSU power forward Angel Reese.

“Nobody wants to be a part of that,” Mulkey said. ‘Nobody wants to see that ugliness. But I can tell you this: I wish she had pushed Angel Reese. Don’t push a child. You are 6-8, don’t push someone so little. In my opinion that was not necessary. Let those two girls that were jawing, let them go.”

Reese said Monday that she was proud that her teammates stood up for each other, but only after she pointed out to X that she might be too important to argue.

Kamilla Cardoso (left), the 6-foot-1 center from South Carolina, brawls with LSU’s Angel Reese (right)

“As a person at my STATUS, sometimes you have to walk away from certain situations,” Reese wrote. ‘Remember the part before that I had twisted my ankle AGAIN and was already walking to the bench. I ALWAYS drive for mine. I’m super proud of this team and super excited for March.”

South Carolina (32-0) led 73-66 when Fulwiley stole the ball from Johnson, who wrapped her up and was called for a foul. Johnson then bumped South Carolina’s Ashlyn Watkins, and the 6-foot-2 Cardoso rushed over and pushed the 6-foot-2 Johnson to the ground. Players from both benches rushed towards them.

Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said Johnson came to her after the game to apologize and told Staley, “I’m not that type of player.”

Staley also apologized on behalf of her program to the remaining South Carolina fans who filled the arena all weekend.

He ended up in the middle of the commotion after the benches were cleared after some pushing on the floor

Johnson’s brother, who was in the stands, came out of nowhere after Cardoso leveled his sister

Staley’s assessment of the dust cloud?

“What you saw was two very competitive teams and they didn’t handle it well,” she said.

The punishments, Staley said, were appropriate and she will spend the next week or so before the NCAA tournament reminding her players not to give in to emotions during heated times.

“People see that this is part of our game now,” she continued. “We have to fix it.”

Cardoso also apologized on social media after the match. The SEC did not open locker rooms to reporters.

“My conduct was not representative of who I am as a person or the South Carolina program, and I deeply regret any inconvenience or inconvenience this may have caused.” I take full responsibility for my actions,” she wrote.

Cardoso and three of her teammates were ejected. Two LSU players – Aalyah Del Rosario and Janae Kent – ​​who logged minutes in the game and came off the bench were also ejected. South Carolina was left with six players and the Tigers five.

Cardoso can be expected to miss time in the NCAA tournament due to her actions. The Gamecocks enter March Madness as the clear No. 1 seed and the only undefeated team left in Division I, men or women. And they did it against the defending champion Tigers and SEC player in Reese.

It was South Carolina’s eighth tournament crown in the past 10 seasons and 16th straight victory over LSU (28-5), including all four meetings since Kim Mulkey became the Tigers’ coach three seasons ago.

South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso defeats LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson in the SEC title game

Fulwiley, the fast, flashy freshman, put on a show in her first SEC tournament and was named the most valuable player. She hit two threes as South Carolina used a 24-11 run between the first and second quarters to take the lead for good.

LSU cut a 13-point deficit to 67-66 after Johnson’s foul shots with 4:36 to play. But Raven Johnson followed with a basket and Bree Hall added two more buckets to increase the margin.

Aneesah Morrow led LSU with 19 points. Reese had 15 points and 13 rebounds, her third consecutive double-double in the tournament.

Reese, who hasn’t won in four tries against South Carolina, including as a sophomore at Maryland, believes the defending champion Tigers are primed for another strong run in March Madness.

“We’re not afraid of South Carolina,” she said. ‘Anyone who sees us should be afraid. We’re in a good place now.’

Mikayla Williams, the SEC Freshman of the Year, played for the first time since suffering her foot injury four games ago. She scored two points in eight minutes.

The Tigers were without Last-Tear Poa, the junior guard who had taken Williams’ starting spot when the freshman player rested her foot. Poa suffered a concussion when her head hit the ground late Saturday night in LSU’s semifinal win over Mississippi. She needed a stretcher to leave the court and was taken to a hospital and released on Saturday evening.