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Kim Mulkey explains decision to sit Flau'jae Johnson; Why it makes sense for LSU
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- Kim Mulkey explains decision to sit Flau'jae Johnson; Why it makes sense for LSU
BATON ROUGE – Coaches want their teams to be playing their best basketball come regular season's end.
Even before Kim Mulkey opted to shut down LSU women's basketball star junior guard Flau'jae Johnson for the next two-plus week s, it was clear the Tigers weren't in postseason form. A part of that was Johnson deciding herself to gut out shin inflammation that Mulkey said she's been putting up with since before the matchup with now No. 1 Texas.
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LSU (24-7, 12-4 SEC), after falling 85-77 to Ole Miss on Senior Night Sunday inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, have now lost two straight games. While the loses to the Rebels and No. 20 Alabama on the road in overtime this past Thursday, aren't ideal, LSU has affixed its eyes on the main prize.
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To get there, a healthy Johnson will be crucial. And it's why, Mulkey said after the loss to Ole Miss, the LSU star must sit now.
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"I sat Flau'jae," Mulkey said. "The doctor didn't tell her she had to sit, the trainer didn't tell her she had to sit. This started before the Texas game and I encouraged her to sit then. When your shins are hurting you, it's like your feet and your back. When they are hurting, you cannot mentally perform.
"I don't care how tough you are, how much pain tolerance you have, it affects you."
Coming out of Sprayberry High School in Marietta, Georgia already a signed rapper, many coaches questioned if Johnson's heart was fully into basketball. After nearly three full seasons playing women's college basketball at the highest level – winning an NCAA championship as a freshman – no one doubts her competitiveness and willingness to battle to help her team win.
Mulkey's decision to sit Johnson is more about protecting her leading scorer from herself and further or prolonged injury. If it were up to Johnson, she would've played against Ole Miss Sunday.
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When the game tightened up Sunday, it was evident LSU was missing something, that "spark" as LSU senior forward Aneesah Morrow called it, that Johnson brings to the team on both ends of the floor.
While the loss on Senior Night stings, the grand scheme of things for LSU wasn't affected by another defeat. Hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament remain the priority for Mulkey and her team and a loss to Ole Miss and regardless of what happens next weekend at the SEC Tournament in Greenville won't damage LSU's standing in that light.
"Knowing that we were going to miss 19 points per game and all her rebounding and defensive stuff, that's OK," Mulkey said of Johnson. "If we lose, we're still a 3-seed (in the SEC Tournament). The conference tournament side of it, I feel like no matter what happens there, we've earned the right to host here whether it's a 2-seed, 3-seed, 4-seed."
"The most important thing is to get her healthy before the NCAA Tournament begins."
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Come NCAA Tournament time, the selection committee has to split hairs on the individual seed lines as résumés are close. One separating factor could be a team's health and if the committee has questions about Johnson's status and availability for March Madness, LSU could lose out to other teams in those debates.
That's the one caveat to Johnson not playing right now. But Mulkey and LSU must take that chance because reaching that main prize — getting back to a Final Four and an NCAA title game — will not happen without a healthy Johnson.
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Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com .
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Kim Mulkey details decision to sit Flau'jae Johnson due to shin injury
