BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – The public showed its support of the LSU Lady Tigers Monday afternoon when a special celebration was held at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Fans illustrated the depth of their loyalty as they chanted, “Let’s go, Tigers,” in unison.
One of the fans, an LSU student named Briah Edwards said, “We’re super dedicated. Like, we get here two, three hours before the game.”
The crowd’s enthusiasm was appropriate, considering the occasion. For the first time in LSU’s history, the Lady Tigers became national champions.
After defeating Iowa’s Hawkeyes, 102-85 in Dallas, the team returned to Baton Rouge with a brand-new trophy to represent their first NCAA Championship win.
A fan named Jasmine Thompson, thrilled with the Tigers’ accomplishment, said that watching the team play on Sunday made her feel like she was right there on the court with them.
Another fan said the win is not only for Baton Rouge, but for the entire state of Louisiana.
During Monday’s event, Mike the Tiger, Head Coach Kim Mulkey, and the fans converged upon the PMAC to praise the team that put women and sports on a national stage.
LSU student, Joshua Flowers said the game proved women can play just like men.
“Not a big thing for this school, but the big thing for women’s sports in general. People understand that these women work just as hard as these men,” Flowers said. “We’re all just proud and happy to see them doing good.”
More celebrations are planned for Wednesday, starting at 6:30 p.m. CT. The festivities will begin with a parade through the campus followed by a 7 p.m. celebration inside the PMAC.
It was a record-setting game on several fronts. The Tigers’ score was the first time a women’s Final Four team ever scored triple digits. Also, the two teams’ combined tallies made this the most points scored in any Division I national game.
Watch the PMAC celebration in full:
