In a candid reflection on LSU women's basketball's surprising 92-78 defeat to Colorado, coach Kim Mulkey disclosed that the outcome of the game itself wasn't as unexpected as the manner in which her top-ranked Tigers played. The defending national champions, known for their resilience, seemed to falter against the Buffaloes' strong approach in the season opener on Nov. 6.

Mulkey expressed her disappointment, particularly with certain players from whom she anticipated more toughness and leadership. She acknowledged Colorado's advantage, given their experienced lineup's seamless coordination on the court. Her criticism, however, was directed at her own squad's lack of combativeness and physicality, qualities she deems non-negotiable.

“I'm disappointed and surprised in some individual players that I thought would just be tougher and have a little fight and leadership about them. But I knew what we faced. When you have that many kids that played that many minutes together [as Colorado], we had our hands full. Colorado did exactly what I thought they would do,” Mulkey said, via Michael Voepel of ESPN. “You live with poor shooting, you live with a tough night offensively. What I don't live with is just guts and fight and physical play [not being there]. I just didn't think we had that tonight.”

Despite the setback, Mulkey remains optimistic, believing that the issues at hand are resolvable, though the timeframe for these corrections is unclear.

“This is not going to devastate us. … Those things I described are fixable,” Mulkey said. “But I don't know how long it's going to take to fix it.”

The loss underscored the absence of Alexis Morris, the experienced point guard, as Colorado dominated the game from the second quarter onwards. The Buffaloes' Aaronette Vonleh, Frida Formann and Jaylyn Sherrod were particularly formidable, with Sherrod's performance earning praise from Mulkey as well.

Sherrod, reflecting on the Buffaloes' journey, acknowledged the strides the team has made under Coach JR Payne, which have culminated in back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances and now a commendable victory to kick off the current season.

“We were very poised, we stayed together, we knew we could do it,” Sherrod, a senior, said. “We've come a long way; when I first got here, this team wasn't where it is.”

LSU, led by 17 points from freshman Mikaylah Williams and 16 from sophomore Sa'Myah Smith, must now grapple with the reality of their situation. Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith, despite contributing 15 and 14 points respectively, were part of a team that couldn't match Colorado's fervor. As Mulkey refrained from pinpointing any individuals, the overarching theme was a collective shortfall in meeting Colorado's aggression and determination.

“I thought [Williams] and Sa'Myah Smith did all they could,” Mulkey said. “You're talking about a true freshman and a true sophomore. We need more than just them to have a little bit of fight.

The Tigers' locker room dynamics, potentially impacted by the summer's transfer activities, did not escape Mulkey's scrutiny. However, she steers clear of attributing the loss to internal team chemistry, instead nodding to Colorado's sheer competence on the court.

“We're not the same team today we were when we won it all,” Mulkey said. “I don't know if anything that went on this summer [with new players transferring in] has anything whatsoever to do with [our] locker room. I think [our] locker room is affected by Colorado being a very good team.”