LSU coach Kim Mulkey wiped away an opposing player's tears after the Tigers ended her collegiate basketball career

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LSU coach Kim Mulkey wiped away an opposing player's tears after the Tigers ended her collegiate basketball career
LSU head coach Kim Mulkey (left) comforts Michigan's Leigha Brown after their March Madness matchup.Rebecca Warren/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
  • The No. 3 LSU Tigers took down the 6-seeded Michigan Wolverines 66-42 to head to the Sweet 16.
  • LSU coach Kim Mulkey consoled Michigan star Leigha Brown and wiped away her tears after the game.
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Leigha Brown's college basketball career has come to an end.

But on her way off the court for the final time, the Michigan fifth-year senior received a message of encouragement that she plans to hold "close to my heart for a long time."

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey pulled a tearful Brown aside on Sunday, after the third-seeded Tigers bested the Wolverines 66-42 for a spot in the Sweet 16 of this year's NCAA tournament. The Hall of Famer and three-time national champion used the 6-foot-1 guard's towel to wipe away her tears and took a moment to congratulate her "on the season that I've had and what I've done for the program," as Brown recalled in the post-game press conference.

"Coach Mulkey — there's a lot of respect there, obviously. She's a legend," Michigan's leading scorer said. "She was just telling me great job, congratulating me on the season that I've had and what I've done for the program.

"Even after a loss like that, something like that coming from a coach of her stature, that means a lot," Brown added.

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For her part, Mulkey commended LSU sophomore Kateri Poole for her defensive work, limiting Brown's impact throughout their second-round matchup. Brown — who averaged 17.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists on the season — finished Sunday's game with just 3 points, 4 rebounds, and two assists.

LSU coach Kim Mulkey wiped away an opposing player's tears after the Tigers ended her collegiate basketball career
Kateri Poole (left) guards Brown in their NCAA tournament second-round matchup.Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Still, Mulkey called Brown "a baller," who is "tough as nails." She added that it "made me really nervous" for her team to face her at point guard, even though that meant she was "probably playing out of position."

"That kid is a baller," Mulkey said after the game. "She took it harder probably than anybody in their locker room, or at least it looked that way in the handshake line. That kid's a heck of a ball player."

LSU coach Kim Mulkey wiped away an opposing player's tears after the Tigers ended her collegiate basketball career
Mulkey celebrates during LSU's rout of the Michigan Wolverines.Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

While Brown's NCAA run has come to a close, Mulkey and the Tigers will head to Greenville, South Carolina, to face the No. 2 Utah Utes in the Sweet 16. With a win on Friday, LSU would advance to its first Elite Eight in 15 years.

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