Kim Mulkey, the iconic coach of the women's basketball team at Louisiana State University, expressed twice on Saturday that she had not yet perused The Washington Post's feature on her illustrious sports career.
"Should anyone be taken aback by its timing?" she posed rhetorically to a reporter before the Tigers' Sweet Sixteen clash against UCLA, a game they triumphed in with a score of 78-69, propelling them to the Elite Eight and a potential consecutive national championship.
The much-anticipated piece by journalist Kent Babb hit the presses mere hours before the game.
"I haven't delved into it," Mulkey remarked regarding the article, mentioning she's unsure if she will and leaving the decision to her legal advisors.
Mulkey vented her frustration at The Washington Post during a press conference on March 23rd.
She revealed that the unnamed reporter had been pursuing an interview with her for two years for the piece and reached out to LSU on March 19th, bombarding them with over a dozen questions just before their first-round game in the tournament, demanding responses by Thursday.
Describing the deadline as "ridiculous" and impossible to meet amidst tournament preparations, Mulkey accused the move as an attempt to silence her and divert focus from the ongoing tournament. She emphatically stated, "It ain't going to work, buddy," and issued a warning of legal action against the newspaper if they published any false information about her.
During the news conference, Mulkey emphasized her readiness to hold journalists accountable for their reporting, a position she asserted she was uniquely positioned to uphold.
Published a week after these remarks, while LSU advanced through the women's March Madness bracket, the article delves into Mulkey's basketball career as both player and coach.
It explores personal anecdotes about her family background, including strained relationships with her father and sister, highlights her successful tenure as a player at Louisiana Tech, and discusses her interactions with former players like Brittney Griner, Kelli Griffin, and Emily Neimann, who have raised questions about Mulkey's support for their sexuality.
The article portrays Mulkey as a highly accomplished player, winning two national championships at Louisiana Tech and an Olympic gold medal in 1984, and as a complex and ambitious coach, securing four national titles, three with the Baylor Lady Bears.
However, it also outlines controversies surrounding Mulkey, including criticism for her response to Griner's detainment in a Russian prison, with a former teammate expressing disappointment at Mulkey's minimal public support for Griner.
Speaking after LSU's victory on Saturday, Mulkey reiterated her ignorance of the Post's article and expressed surprise at its timing just before her team's game.
She suggested that the publication might have aimed for attention or distraction, but she remained adamant about not reading it and indicated that her legal team would handle any concerns.
When approached for comment on the Post article, an LSU representative directed inquiries to Mulkey's postgame press conference.
LSU was scheduled to face the Iowa Hawkeyes on Monday in a bid for a spot in the Final Four.