Dawn Staley Reaches 500 Wins as South Carolina Makes It 18 Straight Over Kim Mulkey’s LSU

Dawn Staley stood on the Pete Maravich Assembly Center court Saturday night, 500 career wins at South Carolina now etched into the record books. The No. 3 Gamecocks had just survived No. 6 LSU, 79-72, extending their winning streak over the Tigers to 18 games and leaving Kim Mulkey still searching for her first victory against South Carolina since arriving in Baton Rouge.

The milestone felt almost secondary to the manner in which South Carolina secured it. Trailing 73-72 with 45.5 seconds remaining, LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson stepped to the free-throw line with a chance to give the Tigers their first lead since the opening quarter. She missed both attempts. Madina Okot converted a layup off a feed from Raven Johnson moments later, and the Gamecocks closed on a 6-0 run to escape with a win that felt more like a coronation.

Tessa Johnson, Raven Johnson Carry Gamecocks in Hostile Territory

The two Johnsons wearing garnet combined for 40 points against a sold-out crowd of 13,200 in Baton Rouge. Tessa Johnson poured in 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting, connecting on four 3-pointers and becoming the first South Carolina player since Aliyah Boston in 2019-20 to post consecutive 20-point games against AP top-10 opponents. Raven Johnson added a career-high 19 points while dishing out six assists and grabbing seven rebounds.

Staley’s postgame praise for her senior point guard bordered on reverent. She called Raven Johnson a winner in the purest sense, adding that of all the players she has coached in her career, Johnson will be the one she misses most when her time in Columbia ends.

That sentiment carries significant weight coming from a coach who has guided A’ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston, and three national championship teams. Staley’s overall record now stands at 672-192 across more than two decades of coaching, with 500 of those victories coming during her 18-year tenure at South Carolina. She joins Pat Summitt, Andy Landers, and Joe Ciampi as the only coaches to reach 500 wins at an SEC program.

Okot finished with 12 points and 17 rebounds for her 16th double-double of the season. Her late basket and two clutch free throws in the final 16 seconds sealed the outcome after LSU had clawed back into contention throughout the fourth quarter.

The Tigers grabbed numerous offensive rebounds, particularly in the final period, and got within one point six times in the second half. But they missed 10 layups and nine free throws, the kind of self-inflicted wounds that have defined this rivalry during Mulkey’s tenure.

Mulkey’s South Carolina Problem Shows No Signs of Ending

Kim Mulkey dropped to 0-6 against the Gamecocks since taking over at LSU before the 2021-22 season and 2-7 all-time against Staley. South Carolina has now defeated Mulkey’s LSU teams in Baton Rouge in each of her seasons as Tigers coach. The Gamecocks’ overall winning streak against LSU dates back to January 2012.

Flau’jae Johnson finished with 21 points and eight rebounds, matching Tessa Johnson’s output, but her two missed free throws with under a minute remaining will linger. Mikaylah Williams added 11 points, but MiLaysia Fulwiley, who won a national championship with South Carolina in 2024, struggled against her former team, finishing with just six points on 1-of-8 shooting.

Mulkey offered no excuses afterward, pointing simply to the missed free throws as the difference. LSU shot 61% from the line compared to South Carolina’s 88%.

South Carolina (25-2, 11-1 SEC) holds a 1.5-game lead atop the conference standings with four games remaining in the regular season. College GameDay returns to Columbia on Feb. 22 when Ole Miss visits Colonial Life Arena, giving the Gamecocks their fourth time hosting the show and extending their record for most hosting appearances by any women’s program.

Staley deflected questions about the milestone, crediting her players and acknowledging that the Gamecocks caught a break at the end. But 500 wins at one program speaks for itself. Three national championships. Eighteen consecutive victories over a program that won a national title in 2023. The standard in women’s college basketball wears garnet, and Saturday night in Baton Rouge only reinforced what everyone already knew.