Angel Reese performed well, but the Tigers lost their second straight game

Hailey Van Lith and Kim Mulkey were not on the same pageAP

It’s one thing to lose to top-ranked South Carolina. But alarm bells really sounded for Angel Reese‘s LSU Tigers in their second straight defeat at the hands of Mississippi State. The 9th-ranked Tigers seemed to have all of their wires crossed at all of the wrong moments, with no clearer example than the confusion over this late-game play between Hailey Van Lith and Kim Mulkey.

Watch: Van Lith baffled by the play Mulkey tried to draw up

LSU huddled for a timeout down 74-68 with just 0:36 remaining in the game. The ESPN cameras caught the perplexed look on Van Lith’s face as Mulkey tried to explain the play to her team for the critical possession. The highly-touted transfer guard had to stay in the huddle after her teammates got back on the court just to clarify what her demanding coach wanted.

Or as one fan eloquently relayed on Twitter/X: “HVL has no idea what’s being drawn on that clipboard.”

Folks in the replies jumped in on the joke, saying she looked like a student waiting for the bell to ring, or for someone’s homework to copy. “Bless her heart,” said another sarcastic reply.

Reese stands out while Van Lith struggles

It’s a good thing HVL went back to clarify her role in the action, because she ended up taking a three-pointer on the important play, which could have made it a one-possession game. She missed, and even though Mikaylah Williams cleaned up the glass and put it back for two points for LSU, it wasn’t enough to get the Tigers back in the game.

Van Lith struggled all game, finishing with four points in 31 minutes, going 0-for-4 from three-point range and recording three turnovers to two assists.

Reese was virtually unstoppable, putting up 20 points, 18 rebounds and five steals, but clearly, the Tigers have bigger issues as a team they need to figure out before the next game against Florida on Sunday.