Postgame Handshake Between Kim Mulkey, UCLA Star Turns Heads
It was a good run for Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers, but, for a second consecutive season, their season ends in the Elite Eight.
On Sunday afternoon, Mulkey and No. 3 seed LSU fell to Lauren Betts and No. 1 UCLA Bruins 72-65 in the Spokane Region 1 final of the NCAA Tournament.
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LSU's Aneesah Morrow, in her final college game, finished with 15 points on 7-of-19 shooting and seven rebounds. She also suffered a broken nose in the second half but still continued playing.
Meanwhile, Betts made 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting, seven rebounds and six blocks for UCLA.
After the game, Mulkey and Betts met each other midcourt for a postgame handshake. They greeted each other with a hug and a few words before going their separate ways.
Betts, the 6-foot-7 junior out of Centennial, Colorado, is now heading to her first Final Four in her three-year college career. In her freshman season with the Stanford Cardinal, she reached the second round. Last season with UCLA, she reached the Sweet 16.
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Mulkey was well aware of Betts' talent heading into the matchup, having nothing but praise for the Bruins center, who averages 20.1 points and 9.7 rebounds (prior to Elite Eight).
'Just watching her from high school until today, it's amazing how good she is,' Mulkey said. "Certainly, her height is an advantage, and we're not going to grow that tall overnight. But we have to battle and do the best we can.'
LSU Lady Tigers head coach Kim MulkeyJames Snook-Imagn Images
Betts and UCLA will now head to Tampa, Florida, for the Final Four, where they will face the winner of a JuJu Watkins-less No. 1 seed USC Trojans vs. Paige Bueckers and No. 2 seed UConn Huskies.
Related: Angel Reese's Immediate Reaction to Juju Watkins' Gruesome Injury
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