Sunday’s championship final between LSU and South Carolina wasn’t without its dramatics, as a late-game scuffle led to multiple ejections for both teams.
South Carolina senior Kamilla Cardoso and LSU sophomore Flau’jae Johnson got into it at one point late in the fourth quarter, causing both benches to be cleared. Cardoso and almost the entirety of both teams’ benches wound up getting ejected.
The scuffle ensued after Johnson committed an intentional foul against MiLaysia Fulwiley before bumping into South Carolina sophomore Ashlyn Watkins on her way to the bench. Cardoso then pushed Johnson to the ground, resulting in both teams clearing their benches and crowding near the scorers table as coaches separated opposing players.
A lengthy review of the incident by the referees resulted in ejections being handed out, including one to Cardoso for fighting. LSU was left with their five starters, while South Carolina had just one substitute.
The Gamecocks were able to keep the lead they’d established, taking the SEC championship in a final score of 79-72.
After the game, South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley apologized in her post-game interview.
“I just wanna apologize to the basketball community,” she said on the ESPN broadcast postgame. “When you’re playing in championship games like this and in our league things get heated. No bad intentions. Their emotions got so far ahead of them that sometimes these things happen, so I wanna apologize for us playing a part in that. Because that’s not who we are, and that’s not what we’re about.”
She said that she would talk with her team about the incident, including the players who left the bench area. During media availability, she said she didn’t want people to think that the fight is what women’s basketball is about.
“I just don’t want the people who are tuning into women’s basketball to see that and think that is our game because it isn’t,” she said. “Our game is a really beautiful thing and, to be quite honest, this is a part of it now. So we have to fix it and we have to move on.”
She also said that she had spoken with Johnson postgame.
"She just apologized and said she's not that type of player," Staley said of Johnson. "And I really appreciate that, just something that somebody won't ever hear if I didn't say anything. And she's not, she's a really good person. Things just got escalated. I'll take responsibility for what happened from our side of it."
Cardoso also issued an apology on social media, saying “My behavior was not representative of who I am as a person or the South Carolina program.”
LSU head coach Kim Mulkey chose a different tone when addressing the incident postgame.
“No one wants to be a part of that. No one wants to see that ugliness,” said Mulkey. “But I can tell you this; I wish she would’ve pushed Angel Reese. Don’t push a kid—you’re 6’8”—don’t push somebody that little. That was uncalled for in my opinion. Let those two girls that were jawing, let them go at it.”
The fallout from the fight isn’t over, as Cardoso will likely miss South Carolina’s first game of the NCAA tournament as a result of her ejection.
