It's time for Kim Mulkey to grow up and be an adult for her LSU players' sakes

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Gooood morning, Winners! Welcome back to the Morning Win. It’s been a minute! Being on the road treated me well, but it’s good to be back and kicking it with y’all.

That’s why it’s so unfortunate that we’re coming back to this mess that ruined an instant classic between South Carolina and LSU on Sunday.

Just in case you haven’t seen, I’ll fill you in. Kamilla Cardoso and Flau’jae Johnson were involved in a slight skirmish. With about two minutes left in the game, Johnson elbowed South Carolina’s Ashtyn Watkins. Cardoso rushed over to defend her teammate and shoved Johnson, sending her to the floor.

Benches cleared. Chaos broke loose. So many players were ejected. It was a mess — plain and simple.

Cardoso will be suspended for the first game of the NCAA tournament, which you hate to see. But things could’ve been much worse. This should be a teaching moment for all parties involved. This didn’t have to be a huge deal.

Instead of turning it into that, Kim Mulkey kept playing in the muck.

“I wish she would’ve pushed Angel Reese. You’re 6’8”. Don’t push a kid. Don’t push somebody that little… Let them 2 girls that were jawing, let them go at it.” —LSU coach Kim Mulkey #SECtournament
pic.twitter.com/RPZhq60eMQ

— Charles T (@ChuckyT3) March 10, 2024

“No one wants to see that ugliness. But I tell you this — I wish she would’ve pushed Angel Reese,” Mulkey said. “Don’t push a kid. You 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.”

Mulkey villainized Kamilla Cardoso here in such a vile way. Her characterization of Johnson as “a kid” and Cardoso as a 6-8 giant was intentional. She’s painting Cardoso as a bully — someone only out there looking to cause harm.

But these are all kids. They’re kids that Mulkey is supposed to be setting an example for.  Unfortunately, she misses the mark by a mile here.

Instead of lifting everyone up and bringing the players above this situation, she dips down further into it. She essentially offers up Angel Reese to fight Cardoso as if she’s a 13-year-old at a high school lunch table. That is wild to hear coming out of the mouth of a coach.

RELATED: Angel Reese doesn’t want anything to do with any of this

On the opposite end, you’ve got Dawn Staley who seemed far more interested in protecting players on both sides than Mulkey did. She apologized for the behavior of everyone involved.

As a coach, Staley knows it’s her job to shield her players in vulnerable moments like this one — not weaponize them. It seems Mulkey missed that memo.

I’d say she ought to be ashamed, but we know she doesn’t have an ounce of that in her. This is who she is. It’s who she always has been. That competitive fire that makes her an elite college basketball coach also seems to make her a terrible person. If you’re not with her, you’re against her. That goes for anybody — even her former (and sometimes current!) players.

NFL Free Agency is officially underway

Well, uh technically, officially unofficially underway. Players are not allowed to sign with NFL teams yet but the two sides can negotiate new contracts.

There’s already some movement. Russell Wilson is on his way to the Steelers. Here’s Cory Woodroof with more:

“NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport added that Wilson will only cost Pittsburgh $1.2 million this season and will compete with 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett for the Steelers quarterback job.

Wilson will join Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin and new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in trying to get the Steelers back into contending shape in a treacherous AFC.”

Many more moves are coming over the next few days that will change the shape of the league. Keep it locked to the site — we’re covering it all.

RELATED: Predicting where the top 25 NFL free agents will land

90’s basketball was back for a night

People have complained all season long about how offense has taken hold of the NBA.

The league is in the midst of an offensive boom right now. Teams are scoring more than ever before and defenses have been crying for help from upstairs to help balance the game out.

I don’t know if that’s happening anytime soon. But for those of you who are looking for grind-it-out games where nobody is scoring? Well, I hope you caught this doozy last night.

The Knicks and 76ers (OF COURSE IT’S THOSE TWO) combined for just 152 points in a game. One hundred and fifty-two, y’all. That’s it.

The 76ers and Knicks 152 combined points is the lowest total score in eight years pic.twitter.com/V4ufrad5SO

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 11, 2024

That was:

— The lowest point total in the NBA since 2016, per ESPN.

— The first time since 2016 that no team scored at least 80 points in a game, according to StatMuse.

Those numbers are sort of hard to believe because, honestly, that feels like a score from 1998 and not 2016. But, hey, man. This is what folks have been asking for.

I don’t mind defense. I would love to see a bit more in the game today. But please, fam. Not like this.

Quick hits: This ref had the right idea … Oscar’s Content! … and more

— This ref wanted no parts of the LSU-South Carolina scuffle and I cannot blame her. Meghan Hall has more.

— Here’s Matt Scalici on Al Pacino’s weird Oscar’s Best Picture award announcement from Sunday. Al, man. WYD?

— Speaking of the Oscar’s, here’s a complete list of winners here from Caroline Darney.

— Here’s Prince Grimes’ updated conference tournament bracket with picks for you on the men’s side.

— Wake up, babe. Christian D’Andrea just dropped another NFL Mock Draft.

— Angel Reese got away with a hair pull on Kamilla Cardoso before the scuffle. Charles Curtis has more.

That’s a wrap, folks! Thanks so much for reading. We appreciate you. Let’s do this again tomorrow! We out.

-Sykes