LSU women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey is making headlines not only for her team's NCAA Tournament wins, but also for her fiery comments that have stoked the controversy and brought new attention to women's basketball. The defending national champions are once again at the epicenter of March Madness, not just for their games but also for the rumors of a potentially incendiary article about Mulkey from the Washington Post.
As the LSU Tigers prepare for their Sweet 16 matchup Saturday against UCLA, Mulkey’s remarks at a press conference on Friday highlighted her focus on the tournament, despite swirling rumors about exposé by the Washington Post.
“We have a lot of people watching our game that didn’t give a flip about women’s basketball before,” Mulkey said, as reported in a tweet on X, formerly Twitter, by The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach
Defending champions LSU are indeed a focal point for fans and media alike, but the chatter around the Washington Post's anticipated piece has threatened to overshadow their achievements. Mulkey previously threatened to sue the author of the article, saying at the time that news of the article dropped that she had “hired the best defamation law firm in the country and “will sue” if the Washington Post “publish a false story about me.”
On Friday, Mulkey was less inclined to speak directly on the potential article, declaring the speculation as non-distractive and stressing the separation between her squad and the media frenzy.
“I did make a statement and that's all I'll comment on at this time because all I'm focused on is to win another basketball game,” Mulkey said, as tweeted by Claire Hanna of TSN Sports.
Kim Mulkey ‘not distracted' by Washington Post story
LSU's path to the Sweet 16 hasn’t been devoid of challenges. This season, they've navigated through integrating new talent like transfers Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow and overcoming the brief sidelining of star forward Angel Reese. Reese, the linchpin of LSU's operation, has been a force on the court, boasting averages of 18.7 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. Her future, however, remains as uncertain as the publication date of the Washington Post article, with a decision pending on whether she will make the jump to the WNBA or exploit her remaining college eligibility.
Her defense of Mulkey amid the external criticism, along with Flau'jae Johnson's, has only solidified her standing within the team.
“That’s my coach and I love coach Kim. She believed in me when nobody believed in me. When I was in my recruiting process, every school said you gotta pick music or you gotta pick basketball, but she didn’. She let me be who I wanted to be,” Johnson said, via Michael Cauble of WBRZ News 2. “She supported me all the way. I love coach Mulkey. She always tell us ‘Don' defend me, Don't defend me, but you kind of get that for a person who had your back, you want to have their back too.”
While the sports community buzzes with anticipation for the Washington Post's story, LSU keeps its eyes on the prize, aiming to replicate last season's glory as they brace for the challenge posed by UCLA in the Sweet 16.
Mulkey's illustrious coaching career, spanning over two decades with three national championships at Baylor, sets the stage for her ongoing tenure at LSU. Her leadership has not only cultivated champions but also nurtured the skills of prominent players like WNBA icon Brittney Griner.
Follow Us
Subscribe