Dawn Staley on the Matchup Against Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers: 'It's a Rivalry'

Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers will square off against the No. 2 ranked South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday afternoon in a clash between a pair of top-five programs.

All eyes will be on the battle in Columbia with Mulkey and Staley leading their programs into a blockbuster matchup.

South Carolina has won 16 straight contests against the Tigers, including last year's SEC Tournament thriller, but it hasn't stopped the "rivalry" chatter.

“It’s a rivalry, it really is, with how many people on the Tigers, their fans, our fans,” Staley said during a segment on the SEC Network on Thursday. “It’s not only a rivalry between the programs on the floor, but it’s a rivalry with the fanbases, because you can’t say one bad thing about LSU without LSU fans hopping on our fans.

“You can’t say nothing about Gamecocks fans, like, nothing that is not positive, or else they’re jawing back and forth.”

It's fierce and intense when the Tigers and Gamecocks take the court against one another. In last season's SEC Tournament showdown, a late-game brawl stole headlines after both clubs went toe-to-toe.

This matchup never disappoints.

Dawn Staley reflects on the rivalry between @GamecockWBB & @lsuwbkb 🍿 pic.twitter.com/SbLn5WdRyg
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) January 23, 2025

LSU and South Carolina have proven to be two of the top programs in America across the last few seasons.

With Mulkey rejuvenating the LSU squad in Baton Rouge after taking over, it's given the program life once again. It's a breath of fresh air.

For Staley, it's no secret the passionate head coach has created a juggernaut in Columbia during her time with the Gamecocks.

The pair of programs have won the last three National Championships with South Carolina winning in 2024 and 2022 while Mulkey led LSU to the program's first title in program history in 2023.

“I think it’s so very good for our game that people are very interested in this rivalry. We’re fortunate but unfortunate College GameDay isn’t going to be here, but I’m sure the people that are going to pack Colonial Life Arena at 5 p.m. on Friday are going to get a treat. They’re going to get their money’s worth,” Staley said.

LSU enters the matchup with a 20-0 record while sitting as the No. 5 ranked team in the country.

For South Carolina, the Gamecocks are 18-1 and ranked No. 2 in the country.

It's should come as no surprise that both clubs are contenders with all eyes set to be on the heavyweight battle on Friday afternoon.

The game was originally slated to tip-off on Thursday night with College GameDay in town, but inclement weather pushed the game back one day due to a snowstorm impacting LSU's travel.

“I mean, Kim’s Kim, and I’m me,” Staley said. “We both have strong personalities. We both want to win and are super competitive. But we also know it is not about us. It’s more about the players and their ability to execute out there on Friday at 5 p.m.”

LSU versus South Carolina will tip-off at 4 p.m. CT on ESPN in a clash between a pair of programs looking to make a statement in Columbia.

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