Less than two minutes into the first quarter of the national championship game, Flau’jae Johnson entered the huddle close to tears.
The LSU freshman point guard had drained a three to score the first points of the night for the Tigers. But she had also turned the ball over twice. After a third team turnover, LSU coach Kim Mulkey felt she had no choice but to bring her team in and call an early timeout. They’d played just 97 seconds, and the score was Iowa 7, LSU 3.
Then the Tigers looked at Johnson.