LSU women's basketball

LSU women's basketball advances to first national championship game in Kim Mulkey's second season by knocking off Virginia Tech.

From the outset, LSU went inside early and often. Follow his Tigers and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers and Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. The Hokies had no defense for her. [LSU women's basketball practices to freshman guard Flau'jae Johnson's music at Final Four](https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/lsu/2023/03/31/lsu-star-flaujae-johnson-practices-to-her-own-music-at-final-four-rapper/70069121007/) [LSU coach Kim Mulkey's outfit for Final Four features pink flowers, matches granddaughter](https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/lsu/2023/03/31/kim-mulkey-outfit-pink-flowers-ncaa-final-four-lsu-womens-basketball/70055653007/)

The Tigers overcome an eight-point deficit with a dominant fourth quarter, pulling away for a 79-72 victory.

With encouragement from officials and others at that end, a male LSU cheerleader lifted up a female cheerleader, who knocked the ball down. Trailing 59-50 after three quarters, LSU went ahead with a 15-0 run over a five-minute span in the fourth quarter. LSU went scoreless over the last 4:48 while missing its last six shots after Virginia Tech switched to a zone defense. Amoore set an record for most 3-pointers in a single NCAA Tournament with 24, though she had a tough night shooting – 4 of 17 overall, including 4 of 15 from beyond the arc. Mulkey, who won three national titles in four Final Four appearances over her 21 seasons at Baylor, is only the second coach to take two different teams to the women’s national championship game. It comes in the second season since LSU’s feisty and flamboyantly dressed coach, Kim Mulkey, returned to her home state to take over a program that lost five consecutive national semifinals from 2004-08 – the only other times they made it this far.

Alexis Morris scored 27 points; Angel Reese tied the NCAA Division I record with her 33rd double-double (24 points and 12 rebounds); and LaDazhia Williams ...

The Hokies went on a 11-0 run and went into the break ahead 34-32. Two minutes later, Morris tied the game with a free throw, and Johnson and Poole scored layups for a 66-62 lead with 4:46. Virginia Tech was 2 of 10 from the field in the fourth quarter and had six turnovers. We turned our intensity up another notch, and that's what gave us the spark on the other end of the floor.” Virginia Tech still led 59-50 at the end of the third, but scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to start a 16-3 run. The men's program has not won a Final Four game in four trips.

An adage as old as time in sports is it isn't how you start, but how you finish -- and that's how LSU punched its ticket to the 2023 national championship.

[https://t.co/DKTzDBCvXq] [April 1, 2023] [https://t.co/lAyk2VKKoO] [April 1, 2023] [https://t.co/dXS6USEgHe] [April 1, 2023] 2 AST 2 REB [#WFinalFour]x [@LSUwbkb] [pic.twitter.com/PjwMzjqWQD] [April 1, 2023] ET on ABC. LSU will take on either Iowa or South Carolina in the national championship. Mulkey, who LSU hired in April 2021, has been essential to that turnaround. This national championship appearance is historic for both LSU and its coach, the legendary Kim Mulkey. LSU opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run and didn't look back, outscoring Virginia Tech 29-13 in the fourth. Reese scored 24 points on 11-for-19 from the field, adding 12 rebounds with six coming on the offensive end.

No. 3 seed LSU overcame a 9-point deficit after three quarters and outscored Virginia Tech 28-13 in the final period to reach Sunday's national championship ...

No. Aliyah Boston, the South Carolina forward, and Caitlin Clark, the Iowa guard, have been the best players in college basketball the last two seasons, spawning superlatives and [earning national accolades](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaw/2023/03/30/caitlin-clark-iowa-wins-ap-womens-basketball-player-year/11570441002/). [The significance of the moment is not lost on Brooks](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaw/2023/03/31/kenny-brooks-virginia-tech-womens-final-four/11567493002/), the only Black male head coach in the Power Five. 1 seeded Hokies beat Ohio State 84-74 on Monday](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaw/2023/03/27/virginia-tech-beats-ohio-state-ncaa-womens-elite-eight/11552395002/) to clinch their ticket to the Final Four, a first for the program based in Blacksburg, Virginia. 1 seed Virginia Tech and No. 1 Virginia Tech 34, No. South Carolina shot 33.3% from the field and 0-for-5 from three.] [LSU advances to first championship game with win over Virgina Tech] [DALLAS — A furious fourth-quarter comeback from LSU erased as much as a 12-point Virginia Tech lead, ] [giving the Tigers a 79-72 win](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaw/2023/03/31/lsu-women-major-rally-final-four-virginia-tech/11579960002/) in the first national semifinal at the women’s Final Four and advancing LSU to Sunday’s title game. 1 Virginia Tech 59, No. [Half: No. [3Q: No. 2 Iowa 38, No. 2 Iowa leads No.

The Tigers trailed by nine entering the fourth quarter and dominated the Hokies down the stretch.

[https://t.co/DKTzDBCvXq] [April 1, 2023] [https://t.co/lAyk2VKKoO] [April 1, 2023] [https://t.co/dXS6USEgHe] [April 1, 2023] 2 AST 2 REB [#WFinalFour]x [@LSUwbkb] [pic.twitter.com/PjwMzjqWQD] [April 1, 2023] ET on ABC. LSU will take on either Iowa or South Carolina in the national championship. Mulkey, who LSU hired in April 2021, has been essential to that turnaround. This national championship appearance is historic for both LSU and its coach, the legendary Kim Mulkey. LSU opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run and didn't look back, outscoring Virginia Tech 29-13 in the fourth. Reese scored 24 points on 11-for-19 from the field, adding 12 rebounds with six coming on the offensive end.

In the team's second year under Kim Mulkey, a national championship appearance was the last thing LSU could have expected out of this season's team.

Caitlin Clark scored 41 points to lead Iowa over undefeated South Carolina for a spot in the 2023 women's basketball tournament title game Friday in Dallas.

Morris scored eight in the first quarter and the Tigers carried a 16-13 lead into the second. Reese and Morris totaled 10 points apiece over the final 10 minutes. Sophomore forward Angel Reese totaled 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Tigers. Clark scored 19 points in the first half. Raven Johnson and Aliyah Boston scored on consecutive possessions to start the fourth quarter, giving the Gamecocks a 60-59 lead with 9:10 remaining. Clark helped the Hawkeyes start the game with an 8-2 run.

Only four teams remain in the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. Each of them have their strengths and weaknesses, along with some interesting ...

No. And more impressive is the fact that they have only trailed for a total of 9:27 during the entire tournament, which is the least amount of time for any of the teams competing this weekend. Georgia Amoore has been outstanding, leading the Hokies with 24 points per game in the Big Dance. However, one would not know that if their only experience watching the Tigers was during the Elite Eight matchup against Miami. Her 32 double-doubles this season is an SEC record. The Gamecocks went from being an inconsistent offensive team last year to currently being the 7th best in the country, averaging 80.5 points per contest. Their 2021 encounter in the second round was lopsided, as Mulkey's Bears easily eliminated the Hokies, 90-48. Iowa allows 70.9 points per game -- 307th in the nation. She does have some help with Monika Czinano's 17.2 points, and they are a very solid post-guard combo. 1 seed Virginia Tech and No. Her impact on offense goes deeper than the points she scores, though, as she is also leading the nation with 8.6 assists per contest. South Carolina's Dawn Staley and Aliyah Boston earned Naismith Coach of the Year and Defensive Player of the year, respectively, for the second year in a row -- the first time two Naismith Awards have gone to the same school two years straight.

The 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship game is set, as the No. 3 LSU Tigers will battle the No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes on Sunday, April 2.

With 41 points and eight assists, including a four clutch free throws to ice the game, the AP National Player of the Year has become a phenomenon in the sport. Alexis Morris finished with a game-high 27 points on 11-27 from the field, while holding VPI to just 10-25 while forcing eight turnovers after intermission. Second Round: Defeated No. [LSU Tigers](https://www.andthevalleyshook.com) will battle the No. Final Four: Defeated No. First Round: Defeated No.

Caitlin Clark overwhelmed the reigning national champions with another sensational game, scoring 41 points as Iowa spoiled South Carolina's perfect season ...

Clark answered right back with two deep 3-pointers and an assist to Monika Czinano to give the Hawkeyes a 67-62 lead they would not relinquish. 3 seed LSU in the title game on Sunday. She now has the Hawkeyes in a spot they’ve never been in before — one victory away from a national championship.

The 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament continued Friday with two powerhouse Final Four matchups. Here are the top plays!

The Tigers weren't backing down without a fight, however. LSU led 16-13 after the first quarter. 2 [Iowa](https://www.foxsports.com/womens-college-basketball/iowa-hawkeyes-team) and AP Player of the Year Caitlin Clark, who led all players with a whopping 41 points. With this stepback jumper, Clark reached 1,000-plus points for the season. Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson made a late layup to pull South Carolina within two points, 75-73, with nine seconds to play. [LSU](https://www.foxsports.com/womens-college-basketball/lsu-lady-tigers-team) pulled off a 79-72 comeback win over No. 3 LSU 79, No. LSU regained the lead thanks to a couple of smooth steals, putting the Tigers ahead midway through the first quarter. [first to strike](https://twitter.com/LSUwbkb/status/1641942120620609536) in this one, as the Tigers grabbed a quick 4-0 lead right out of the gate. 2 Iowa 77, No. No. [South Carolina](https://www.foxsports.com/womens-college-basketball/south-carolina-gamecocks-team) was handed its first loss of the season after a 77-73 loss to No.

Here's what to know about LSU before Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes play the Tigers in the national title game Sunday.

The Tigers had fallen on hard times, failing to make the NCAA Tournament four straight years before she took over. The Tigers come into this game with the fifth-best offense in the nation, scoring an average of 81.8 points per game compared to Iowa's 87.6. She spent two seasons at Big Ten rival Maryland before transferring to LSU before the 2022-23 campaign. The Hawkeyes won't have to worry much about her from long range, though. The Tigers have made the Final Four on six occasions, but they've never made it past the national semifinals until this season. Then they cruised past Miami in the Elite Eight before coming back in the fourth quarter to topple 1-seed Virginia Tech in the Final Four.

Well LSU is now one game away from making that dream come true. The Tigers (33-2) were triumphant 79-72 over the Virginia Tech Hokies in the national semifinal ...

It did not matter because LSU would explode in the fourth quarter starting it off with a 22-3 run to pull ahead by 10. LSU went up 32-23 in the first half before going cold for the final five minutes of the half to fall behind 34-32. Tech threw a zone that totally flummoxed LSU and the Tigers was held scoreless for nearly 15 minutes of real time

The Louisiana State University Women's Basketball team has secured its spot in the NCAA Championship game. The LSU Tigers will play on Sunday against the ...

Kim Mulkey has led LSU women's basketball to the NCAA championship game, where they'll meet Caitlin Clark and Iowa. Our preview and prediction.

Iowa 68, LSU 66: This year's national championship game comes down to the wire. Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers and Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. [LSU women's basketball](https://www.theadvertiser.com/sports/lsu/), which welcomed nine new players to its program in Kim Mulkey's second season, has led the grandest stage in the sport. Just behind Clark all season, LSU's Reese has lurked in the scoring stat. Iowa coach Lisa Bluder, before this tournament, had only been as far as the Elite Eight. But it'll take a group effort for LSU to slow down arguably the D-I's best shooter.