LSU’s national championship women’s team honored with parade

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — LSU star forward AngelReese sat in the back of an orange convertible Corvette, waving tothousands of fans lining the roadside — and also waving her hand infront of her face from time to time, repeating a gesture thatcaused a stir at the end of the national championship game.

The Tigers paraded across campus and into the Pete MaravichAssembly Center on Wednesday night for ceremonies to honor theirfirst NCAA women’s national championship, captured Sunday with a102-85 victory over Iowa in Dallas.

“I’m trying not to cry,” said coach Kim Mulkey, a Louisiananative who left behind the three-time national champion powerhouseshe’d built at Baylor two years ago to take over at LSU.

“This is my home,” she said, noting that her mother was in thearena.

Reese was not among the players who spoke at the event. But shehas been outspoken on several topics this week.

She was unapologetic when questioned about waving her hand infront of her face while staring down Caitlin Clark during the game.Clark, The Associated Press Player of the Year, made a similargesture to no one in particular during Iowa’s victory overLouisville in the Elite Eight.

Reese also has said she would not accept an apology from FirstLady Jill Biden for suggesting that both LSU and runner-up Iowa beinvited to the White House. President Joe Biden did not followthrough on that idea, inviting only LSU and men’s national championConnecticut.

LSU star guard Alexis Morris, an outgoing senior who aspires toplay in the WNBA, was among the players who addressed the crowdinside the arena.

“LSU, thank you. I appreciate your love, your unwavering supportand for believing in us,” she said. “I just want you all to know Ilove you with all my heart.”

Mulkey, who won a national title as a player for Louisiana Tech,said it was her goal to win a national title with the flagshipuniversity of her home state. But she said she never put atimetable on that.

Holding up a page of notes from a preseason meeting with herplayers, Mulkey said, “Nowhere on here does it say, ‘Win a nationalchampionship.’”

She said the goals she’d written down were to win 90% ofnonconference games, finish in the top four of the SEC, win onegame in the SEC Tournament and remain ranked in the AP Top 25throughout the season.

She also told the team, “If you will play defense and if youwill rebound the ball, you may surprise yourself.”

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards was among the speakers followingthe parade.

“Louisiana always had faith in you, but more importantly, youhad faith in yourself and were smart enough not to listen to allthe experts who said you didn’t have a chance,” Edwards told LSU’splayers.

As for Mulkey, Edwards said, “We all knew she could do it, butwhat she has done to elevate this program and all of women’s sportsis truly remarkable.”

Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome presented Mulkey with akey to the city.