DURHAM, N.C. — Kara Lawson and Kim Mulkey’s approaches to nonconference scheduling are virtually as reverse as their approaches to game-day style; Mulkey, in her fifth season as the top coach at LSU, prefers to make use of the nonconference slate as an opportunity to construct her crew’s confidence and chemistry forward of the SEC gauntlet. In the meantime Lawson, in her sixth season on the helm of Duke, prefers her crew to face robust opponents early and sometimes.
On Thursday night time at Cameron Indoor Stadium, in entrance of a slew of WNBA scouts and NBA commissioner Adam Silver, the ACC/SEC Problem put these two disparate types and philosophies on a collision course. Whereas Duke began sturdy, No. 5 LSU ended up working away in a 93-77 win.
Rating one for multi-colored pantsuits and bunnies.
The Tigers cruised via their first eight video games of the season in historic style, scoring greater than 100 factors in each recreation for the primary time in NCAA DI historical past. Nevertheless it was exhausting to understand how a lot to make of that, given the (lack of) high quality of their opposition. And issues seemed sketchy for LSU early. Duke got here out swinging and went on an 11-1 run within the first 2:43 of the sport — fairly a feat contemplating Duke is infamous for offensive struggles in the course of the Lawson period, and has already had 5 quarters this season by which the crew has scored lower than 11 factors in 10 minutes.
Nevertheless it did not take lengthy for LSU to regular itself. Although Duke prolonged the result in 17-3, MiLaysia Fulwiley and Kate Koval got here off the bench and instantly supplied a spark, scoring 11 factors to assist minimize Duke’s result in 4 by the top of the primary body.
Within the second quarter, LSU turned on the turbo jets, topping Duke 31-19 to take an eight-point lead into halftime. Duke by no means obtained nearer than inside seven for the remainder of the sport.
Essentially the most spectacular factor about LSU is their depth. After seeing them in particular person, it is exhausting to argue towards the notion that they’ve one of the best again courtroom within the nation. Fulwiley has a lot velocity, craftiness and creativity that she will be able to come off the bench and instantly put opponents on their heels. She had eight factors within the first quarter and ended with 16 factors, 5 rebounds and three assists.
Within the third quarter, beginning junior guard Mikaylah Williams took over, scoring 10 of her 14 factors. Flau’jae Johnson then carried it house, salvaging a gradual night time offensively with 11 factors within the fourth to carry her to 18 factors, three assists and 5 rebounds. Then there was Amiya Joyner – who performs and appears a lot taller than her 6-foot-2 listed peak – including 14 factors and 5 boards and 6-foot-5 Koval including 13 factors, three rebounds and three steals from the bench. Within the second quarter, it was truly freshman reserve Grace Knox who scored seven unanswered factors herself in below a minute to offer the Tigers command of the sport for good. Actually, the Tigers are unrelenting.
“We play with a number of aptitude, we play with a number of pleasure, it is the LSU model,” Mulkey mentioned.
On paper, this appears like a catastrophe for Duke. The Blue Devils began the yr ranked No. 7 however fell out of the highest 25 by mid-November. Lawson likes to schedule robust opponents so she will be able to see the failings in her crew early on and work on them, and contemplating the Blue Devils are actually 3-6 and on a four-game shedding streak, that to-do listing is getting fairly lengthy as ACC play will get able to tip off.
However whereas Duke has had some embarrassing losses this season – the notorious second-half collapse towards a West Virginia crew with solely 5 out there gamers specifically – this wasn’t one in all them. This was Duke’s third recreation towards a top-five opponent in eight days, they usually seemed much better on this recreation than they did in both recreation on the Gamers Period event in Vegas throughout Feast Week.
“To start with, credit score to Duke. That is nearly as good as I’ve seen Duke play all yr. They jumped on us like white on rice,” Mulkey mentioned.
Particularly given the opponent, this was Duke’s finest offensive displaying of the season. The Blue Devils shot 50% general, which tied their season-high and shot a season-best 61.8% from inside. Although they have been undersized in comparison with LSU, the Duke entrance courtroom had a number of vibrant spots — Toby Fournier had 14 factors in simply 22 minutes, Delaney Thomas added 14 factors and Arianna Roberson and Riley Nelson, making their Duke debuts this season after sitting out final yr with accidents, added a mixed 21 factors from the bench. The Blue Devils actually need extra taking pictures from the guards, however the hope is that freshman Emilie Skinner, a highly-ranked recruit that Lawson is bullish about, may help on that entrance when she will get wholesome.
Total, Lawson was simply thrilled with how her crew competed.
“We’ve got been inconsistent with our aggressive mindset. That could be a truth. While you look again at a few of our video games, now we have been inconsistent in that,” Lawson mentioned. “Simply to begin, we have to do this for longer durations, and do this for the course of the sport. In order that’s why I am so optimistic, is as a result of I noticed that tonight, proper? You possibly can’t management the way you shoot. You possibly can’t management what occurs, you may’t management the calls. You possibly can’t management that stuff. However are you competing at a excessive stage? And as soon as we are able to do this persistently, we’ll put ourselves in an important probability, in an important place, to win video games.”
Listed below are just a few different notes from an thrilling night time in Durham:
Flau’jae Johnson obtained her revenge
When Johnson chirped at Lawson throughout a fourth-quarter run by LSU, it was clear that there was a private element to this recreation for the senior. In press, Mulkey shed some mild on why that was.
“I used to be pleased for Flau’jae. , she did not have a superb expertise with USA Basketball with Kara this summer season, and so she’s had this date circled. You get nervous since you assume she’s gonna attempt to are available in right here and attempt to do an excessive amount of. And I used to be pleased with how she dealt with herself,” Mulkey mentioned.
Lawson, who was simply named the top coach of the U.S. ladies’s nationwide basketball crew for this upcoming Olympic cycle, was the top coach of Staff USA this summer season on the 2025 FIBA Ladies’s AmeriCup. Because the WNBA season was in season, the crew was stuffed with faculty gamers, together with Johnson. The crew gained gold, however Johnson’s taking part in time was sporadic and the expertise clearly impacted her.
“While you change into a coach, whether or not it is USA Basketball, whether or not it is at LSU, whether or not it is at Duke, gamers aren’t going to all the time be pleased and content material,” Mulkey mentioned. “And Flau’jae misplaced a number of confidence this summer season taking part in with USA basketball, and it is my job, after I get her again on campus, to carry her again to the place she may help us do what we have to do.”
When requested about Mulkey’s feedback in press, Lawson didn’t get into particulars about what went on with Johnson.
“My expertise was a superb one, not simply teaching Flau’jae, however teaching all of the gamers, all 12 gamers, placing a crew collectively and working towards inside 10 days after which going to play a event,” Lawson mentioned. “And our faculty gamers did an unbelievable job taking part in towards groups that had professional gamers on it, and we’re in a position to win the gold. So simply actually pleased with that group.”
MiLaysia Fulwiley remains to be a piece in progress
This recreation was filled with highlights for LSU guard MiLaysia Fulwiley, the South Carolina switch who is thought for her handles and velocity.
However Mulkey expressed in press that Fulwiley nonetheless has an extended option to go earlier than she is within the beginning lineup and really working the crew. Mulkey particularly needs Fulwiley to work on defending the ball.
“Lay transferred to LSU as a result of she wished to study the purpose guard place. She wished to have the ball in her palms extra. That is a piece in progress, since you do not wish to take the aptitude away from her recreation, , and I attempt to educate her, there have been moments the place she took the ball and wrapped it round her, and It isn’t the time to do this. However she needs to study. She is a spark for us, however she needs to be greater than a spark,” Mulkey mentioned.
“She performed a number of minutes tonight. She’s pleased. She’s pleased. When you may have gamers that may do these issues like she will be able to with the ball in her palms, you by no means wish to take that away from her. However you educate them, you may’t have a number of turnovers and never assists. You wish to have a two-to one ratio, and that is a part of educating her to make her perceive. I feel she had like 5 turnovers, most likely had two or three assists. It must be the opposite manner round. However she’s a delight to educate.”
Duke will not be panicking
There is not any option to sugarcoat it: A 3-6 begin to the season is dangerous, regardless of who the opponents are. However the Blue Devils didn’t come into press speaking like a crew in free fall.
“Truthfully I could not be extra pleased with this crew. We’re rising,” Ashlon Jackson, who had 16 factors, three assists and three rebounds, advised reporters. “We’re very uncomfortable proper now, which is the great factor, as a result of like I mentioned, in March, all people is uncomfortable, so the crew that’s most snug with being uncomfortable goes to succeed.”
Lawson, for her half, remained assured (publicly, at the very least) that her crew was shifting in the precise route.
“There’s ups and downs, and you bought to maintain pushing. And the adversity is difficult proper now, and it has been lengthy, , the size of the adversity, however we imagine so much in one another, and there is a number of positivity. In case you come into our observe, you would not really feel like we’re in the midst of adversity,” Lawson mentioned. “Prefer it’s loud, it is optimistic, it is communicative. So these are my keys.
“So long as we’re doing that and we’re executing, we’re attempting to do what we’re attempting to do, then, , I be ok with the place we’re. However it might really feel good to win, so we’ll attempt to do this on Sunday.”
