LSU coach Kim Mulkey says she wishes South Carolina's towering center Kamilla Cardoso pushed 6-foot-3 Tigers star Angel Reese instead of 'little' Flau'jae Johnson in ugly SEC Championship fight: 'You're 6-8!'

LSU women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey has one regret about her team's on-court skirmish with South Carolina in the SEC Championship: She wishes it was a fair fight.

With two minutes left in the top-ranked Gamecocks' 79-72 victory over No. 8 LSU, South Carolina's 6-foot-8 center Kamilla Cardoso was seen shoving 5-foot-10 LSU guard Flau'jae Johnson, leading to a brief fracas. South Carolina's Cardoso, Chloe Kitts, Tessa Johnson and Sakima Walker were all ejected, while Johnson's brother, Trayron Lennoris Milton Jr., was arrested for storming onto the court.

Asked about the incident, Mulkey didn't hold back. Instead, she suggested Cardoso pick a fight with someone her own size, like 6-foot-3 LSU power forward Angel Reese.

'No one wants to be a part of that,' Mulkey said. 'No one wants to see that ugliness. But I can tell you this, I wish she would have 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.'

Reese said Monday that she was proud her teammates stood up for each other, but only after indicating on X that she may be too important to get into a fight.

Head coach Kim Mulkey of the LSU Lady Tigers reacts to a call during Sunday's SEC title game

South Carolina's 6-foot-7 center Kamilla Cardoso (left) battles with LSU's Angel Reese (right)

'As a person at my STATUS, sometimes you have to walk away from certain situations,' Reese wrote. 'Mind you the play before that I had rolled my ankle AGAIN and was already walking to the bench. I ALWAYS ride for mine. I'm super proud of this team & super excited for march.'

South Carolina (32-0) was ahead 73-66 when Fulwiley stole the ball from Johnson, who wrapped her up and was called for a foul. Johnson then bumped South Carolina's Ashlyn Watkins, and the 6-foot-7 Cardoso rushed over and pushed the 5-foot-10 Johnson to the ground. Players from both benches rushed toward them.

Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said Johnson came up to her after the game to apologize, telling Staley, 'I'm not that type of player.'

Staley, too, apologized on behalf of her program to the remaining South Carolina fans who filled the arena all weekend.

He got right into the thick of things after benches cleared following some shoving on the floor

Johnson's brother, who was in the stands, came out of nowhere after Cardoso leveled his sister

Staley's assessment of the dustup?

'What you saw were two highly competitive teams and they did not handle it well,' she said.

The penalties, Staley said, were appropriate and she will spend time the next week or so before the NCAA Tournament reminding her players not to give in to emotions at heated times.

'People see that this is now part of our game,' she continued. 'We have to fix it.'

Cardoso, too, apologized on social media after the game. The SEC did not open locker rooms to reporters.

'My behavior was not representative of who I am as a person or the South Carolina program, and I deeply regret any discomfort or inconvenience it may have caused. I take full responsibility for my actions,' she posted.

Cardoso and three of her teammates were ejected. Two LSU players — Aalyah Del Rosario and Janae Kent — who logged minutes in the game and came off the bench were also sent off. South Carolina was left with six players and the Tigers five.

Cardoso can be expected to miss time in the NCAA Tournament for her actions. The Gamecocks enter March Madness as the clear-cut No. 1 seed and the only undefeated team left in Division I, men or women. And they did it against the defending national champion Tigers and SEC player in Reese.

It was South Carolina's eighth tournament crown in the past 10 seasons and its 16th straight win over LSU (28-5), including all four meetings since Kim Mulkey became the Tigers' coach three seasons ago.

South Carolina's Kamilla Cardoso shoves LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson during the SEC title game

Fulwiley, the speedy, flashy freshman, put on a show in her first SEC Tournament and was named its most valuable player. She hit two 3s as South Carolina used a 24-11 run between the first and second quarters to move in front for good.

LSU cut a 13-point deficit to 67-66 on Johnson's foul shots with 4:36 to play. But Raven Johnson followed with a basket and Bree Hall added two more buckets to extend the margin.

Aneesah Morrow led LSU with 19 points. Reese had 15 points and 13 rebounds, her third straight double-double in the tournament.

Reese, who hasn't won in four tries against South Carolina including as a sophomore at Maryland, believes the defending national champion Tigers are poised for another strong run in March Madness.

'We're not scared of South Carolina,' she said. 'Anybody who sees us should be scared. We're in a good place right now.'

Mikayla Williams, the SEC freshman of the year, played for the first time since injuring her foot four games ago. She scored two points in eight minutes.

The Tigers were without Last-Tear Poa, the junior guard who had taken on Williams' starting spot as the first-year player rested her foot. Poa suffered a concussion late in LSU's semifinal win over Mississippi on Saturday night when her head hit the floor. She needed a stretcher to leave the court and was taken to a hospital and released Saturday night.