What Leon Barmore said to Kim Mulkey after LSU women's basketball reached first NCAA title game

DALLAS – Immediately after LSU women’s basketball’s Final Four victory Virginia Tech inside American Airlines Center Friday night, Leon Barmore texted his former star player, assistant coach – and, oddly enough, boss – Kim Mulkey two words.

“Unbelieve. Amazing.”

It took Mulkey, who won three national championships at Baylor before accepting the LSU head position before the 2021-22 season, just two years to achieve program history by guiding the Tigers to their first NCAA national championship game appearance.

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LSU (33-2) will play Iowa (31-6) in the title game Sunday afternoon (2:30 p.m., ABC).

For Barmore, a three-time national championship winning coach himself at Louisiana Tech, where he and Mulkey won two titles together, there aren’t many words to describe how quickly his protégé has brought back relevance to an LSU program that had been to five straight Final Fours 15 seasons ago.

“To have her win and get to a national championship in her second year, it’s a tribute to her as a coach and competitor,” Barmore said. “In all the years I worked with Kim, especially at Baylor (as her assistant coach), it was all about her practice, they didn’t fool around. In practice, her teams get better.”

LSU defense has held opponents during its NCAA Tournament run to the title game to 41% or less shooting from the floor. While Mulkey has made her way to the top of the coaching ranks with good defensive teams, Barmore has been surprised at how quickly this LSU team has found its defensive rhythm.