LSU reserves propel Tigers to NCAA championship

DALLAS -- LSU Tigers coach Kim Mulkey criticized her bench after an ineffective first half against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the national semifinals. Graduate student Jasmine Carson, freshman Sa'Myah Smith and sophomore Last-Tear Poa came away with a collective minus-14 in a combined 17 minutes before finishing with zero points by the game's end.

"They didn't take that lightly," star sophomore forward Angel Reese said of Mulkey's challenge. "Coach gets on everybody, and I think they took that personal."

Amid early foul trouble to their starters, LSU's "role players" stepped up massively on the biggest of stages, helping the Tigers score a NCAA title game-record 102 points over Iowa on their…