As Kim Mulkey refuses to gaze into LSU's crystal ball, allow me. Here's what I see | Toppmeyer

• LSU women's basketball's starting five is loaded. The Tigers are short on depth and can't afford Angel Reese foul trouble.
• Some poor decision-making hurt LSU Tigers in loss to South Carolina.
• Kim Mulkey says LSU is 'one of the top teams.' Good enough to repeat? Check back in March.

BATON ROUGE, La. – The question had to press on the mind of anyone who watched the game, but LSU coach Kim Mulkey wouldn’t come straight out with an answer.

Was No. 9 LSU’s performance in a 76-70 loss Thursday to No. 1 South Carolina enough to make Mulkey believe her Tigers have what it takes to repeat as national champions?

“Well, I don’t know that,” Mulkey said. “I didn’t know at this time last year that I was going to win a national championship. … What I know is, we’re relevant. We’re one of the top teams in the country.”

Allow me to answer the question Mulkey swerved past.

If LSU (18-3, 5-2) doesn’t repeat, it won’t be due to a lack of talent. The Tigers’ starting five is loaded.

For most of this game, LSU played better than Dawn Staley’s super squad. The Gamecocks played smarter, though.

If LSU doesn’t repeat, it will be because of unreliable in-game decision-making. Or, it will be because foul trouble exposes a lack of depth. Those two elements cost LSU against South Carolina.

TOPPMEYER:South Carolina wins it, LSU blows it, and one will win women's basketball national title

FIT CHECK:Kim Mulkey's Coca-Cola jacket, outfit draw attention in LSU vs. South Carolina game

EPIC CROWD:South Carolina basketball's Dawn Staley jokes LSU's sold-out crowd called her 'boo'

Also, this team might not gel in the postseason like last year’s team. Or, South Carolina might just get in the way. The Gamecocks (18-0, 6-0) are darn good, and this became the heavyweight fight I expected.

LSU women's basketball hurt by in-game decisions

LSU dominated the first half but had just a five-point halftime lead to show for it. At the break, two end-of-quarter moments lingered on my mind.

The Tigers hoisted three 3-pointers in the final 30 seconds of the first quarter when they could have otherwise held for a final shot. They kept securing offensive rebounds. They kept missing shots. Finally, after a final miss, South Carolina took possession with nine seconds left. Te-Hina Paopao hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer, and a nine-point LSU lead became six.

The Tigers again had a chance to hold for the final shot in the second quarter. Instead, Hailey Van Lith put up a floater with 10 seconds left. Miss.

This time, it became MiLaysia Fulwiley’s turn to hit a 3 at the buzzer, and LSU’s eight-point lead became five.

It wouldn’t be the last clutch 3 the Gamecocks would make, and it wouldn’t be the last rushed shot Van Lith would take.

“Possessions matter,” Mulkey said of the difference in the game.

LSU gave away too many. The giveaways included a 10-second backcourt violation after Van Lith dribbled out the seconds while conversing with Mulkey, for one of the silliest turnovers you’ll ever see.

“Better,” Mulkey said of her team’s decision-making, "but not polished. ... We just have to clean up some things. And we will.”

Angel Reese can’t foul out

LSU's Angel Reese was the best player on the court. The game got decided while she was off the court.

Reese watched the final 4:02 from the bench after being whistled for her fifth foul when she hacked Raven Johnson on Johnson’s drive to the basket.

Reese can’t make that mistake. The Tigers sorely needed her rebounding, her defense, her scoring, her presence. Reese is a dogged defender, so it wouldn’t come naturally, but she needed to let Johnson put up a clean shot in that situation. Even if Johnson had made it, the game would have been tied with four minutes remaining.

Instead, Reese fouled her, and Johnson made the free throws. The game was tied, but now LSU had to play without Reese. We learned LSU can’t afford to play big moments, against the toughest opponents, without its superstar.

LSU's Flau’jae Johnson said it best after the game: “Four minutes left? That’s too much time to not have Angel Reese on the floor.”

South Carolina boasts more depth

South Carolina's bench delivered 16 points. LSU played just two reserves and received four bench points.

LSU’s bench had Reese’s back when she encountered foul trouble in last season’s national championship win over Iowa. These Tigers don’t have that security blanket.

A deep bench isn’t required of championship teams. In 2018, Notre Dame won it all using a six-player rotation. Winning without much depth, though, calls for avoiding foul trouble – especially Reese.

Who’s LSU’s glue?

Each of LSU's starters can score in bunches, but Reese remains the straw that stirs the drink.

Who’s the glue, though? During last year’s championship run, point guard Alexis Morris and fellow senior LaDazhia Williams helped hold everything together.

This team features three new starters who weren’t in the program last year, and I don’t think everyone fits into their roles as easily.

There’s time still. The title Tigers didn’t hit their stride in the dead of winter. That came later. Will it snap into place in time for an encore?

“You’re asking me to look in that crystal ball,” Mulkey said.

Mulkey left us to wonder what she sees in that glass orb.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's SEC Columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

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