Kim Mulkey has been a topic of conversation for the past few days. Aside from LSU's run to the Elite Eight, Mulkey is currently embroiled in a feud with the Washington Post. The buzz all started when Mulkey spoke at a press conference last week, addressing rumors about a then-upcoming Washington Post article about her. The LSU women's basketball head coach threatened legal action against the news outlet if a false story would be published.
The article in question was made public on Saturday, and Mulkey was recently asked if she had gone through the piece.
“I haven’t read that trash,” Mulkey said, per The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach. “I’m not going to. That’s why I have lawyers.”
Kim Mulkey's clash with the media
The highly-discussed article touches on many topics, such as Mulkey's rise in LSU, her estranged relationship with her father and her (supposed) handling of past players.
Going back to her press conference last week, what irked Mulkey even more was how the journalist behind the “hit piece” had been continuously trying to get in touch with her even amid LSU's March Madness campaign.
“I wouldn't normally discuss media rumors about me, but I felt the need to publicly address what exactly this reporter for the Washington Post has been doing the past several years and the lengths he has gone to try and put a hit piece together. This reporter has been working on a story about me for two years. After two years of trying to get me to sit with him for an interview, he contacts LSU on Tuesday, as we were getting ready for the first-round game of this tournament, with more than a dozen questions, demanding a response by Thursday, right before we're scheduled to tip-off. Are you kidding me?” (per ClutchPoints' Randall Barnes)
Besides the Washington Post, Mulkey also called out the LA Times following the Tigers' Sweet 16 win over UCLA. The Los Angeles-based news outlet recently published a piece that intended to hype up LSU's upcoming clash with Iowa. One of the descriptions given by the article toward LSU was “dirty debutantes,” something Mulkey took exception to.
“I'm not going to let you attack young people…it was so sexist…evil…called us dirty debutantes? How dare you?” Mulkey said, per ClutchPoints' Benedetto Vitale.
The LA Times has since updated the article.
Mulkey and LSU women's basketball continue their run for back-to-back titles
Despite being portrayed by many as villains, Mulkey and LSU have shown that they're a formidable team on the court. Winning a national championship last year, The Tigers are three wins away from taking the crown once again.
LSU garnered a second-place finish in the SEC this season, concluding their pre-March Madness campaign with a 28-5 (13-3 in conference) record. Led by star forward Angel Reese, the team continues its winning ways in the ongoing tournament. LSU defeated Rice and Middle Tennesee in the first two rounds to set up a Sweet 16 matchup against UCLA.
Against the Bruins, the Tigers reminded everyone why they're still a title favorite despite the outside noise. Flau'jae Johnson scored 24 points while Aneesah Morrow and Reese added 17 and 16 points (respectively) to overcome their number-two-seeded opponents, 78-69. LSU was down by one with less than two minutes remaining but free throws and a crucial block by Reese led to a swing in momentum. A layup by Johnson pushed the Tigers up four with 46 seconds to go and free throws eventually sealed the game for Kim Mulkey's squad.
Moving forward, a highly-anticipated rematch with Caitlin Clark and Iowa is set to take place. Many fans may root for the Hawkeyes but as Angel Reese herself said, the Tigers are the “good villains.” LSU women's basketball knows that plenty are wishing for their downfall. They don't care. Whether fans like it or not, they'll continue to talk trash and play their game because that's what good villains do.
Follow Us
Subscribe