LSU coach Kim Mulkey said that she wouldn’t let an impending Washington Post “hit piece” about her derail the defending national champion Tigers during the women’s NCAA Tournament.
A dominant second-half surge, led by star forward Angel Reese and dynamic guard Flau’Jae Johnson, proved Mulkey right – at least for now.
Reese’s 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Johnson’s 21 points, helped third-seeded LSU pull away for an 83-56, second-round victory over No 11 seed Middle Tennessee on Sunday.
“Listen, man, we’re not going to let one sleazy reporter distract us from what we’re trying to do. Absolutely not,” Mulkey said. “My kids didn’t even know I said that yesterday. That team is not involved in this. They were in shock when they saw all that on the internet.”
Mulkey grabbed headlines when she railed against the Washington Post and even threatened legal action.
“Coach Mulkey’s had our back all year, so we’ve got to have Coach Mulkey’s back,” said forward Aneesah Morrow, who scored 19 points. “We’ve got to play hard and for one another – and that’s as simple as it is.”
LSU trailed by nine in the third quarter before surging to a comfortable win, ending the Blue Raiders’ 20-game winning streak.
“I didn’t want to let my team down,” said Reese, who had a long embrace with Mulkey on the sideline when she checked out in the final minutes.
Reese also noted that she may have played her last game on LSU’s home court because she hasn’t decided whether to turn pro after this season.
“So, I did whatever it takes to win,” Reese said. “And me and coach have that kind of relationship where she can get on me and talk to me, like, ‘I need you,’ and give me that encouragement that I need.”
On Saturday Mulkey used a press conference to attack the Post, and journalists as a whole.
“Reporters who give a megaphone to a one-sided embellished version of things aren’t trying to tell the truth,” she said. “They’re trying to sell newspapers and feed the click machine. This is exactly why people don’t trust journalists and the media anymore. It’s these kinds of sleazy tactics and hatchet jobs that people are just tired of. I’m fed up and I’m not gonna let the Washington Post attack this university, this awesome team of young women I have, or me, without a fight.”
Mulkey added that she had “hired the best defamation law firm in the country, and I will sue the Washington Post if they publish a false story on me. Not many people are in a position to hold these kinds of journalists accountable but I am, and I’ll do it.”
She said the Post had “called former disgruntled players to get negative quotes to include in their story,” and tried to “trick” other coaches into disparaging her.
The 60-year-old Mulkey was a star college player, winning a national title with Louisiana Tech before helping Team USA to gold at the 1984 Olympics. She won three national titles as Baylor coach before moving to LSU, where is the highest-paid women’s basketball coach in the US, earning $3.26m a year.
Mulkey has been credited with helping players with personal problems but has also attracted controversy, particularly in her relationship with Brittney Griner, whom she coached at Baylor. While Griner said she appreciated Mulkey defending her from hostile fans, she also said the coach told her to cover her tattoos and to not talk publicly about her sexuality.
