Kim Mulkey is making like her players and getting into a defensive stance as the NCAA Tournament unfolds alongside the potential publication of an exposé about her in the Washington Post. But while Mulkey tried to scare the Post out of publishing an investigation into her coaching, Shannon Sharpe believes the LSU coach is actually bringing more attention to the article.
Without her calling it out and giving the details, it could have come and gone. Now, Sharpe believes the whole sports world is waiting with baited breath to go at Mulkey.
“I probably wouldn’t have read it, but because she’s so animated, I’ve got to see what they’re talking about now,” Sharpe said on Nightcap with cohost Chad Johnson. “You got me interested.”
Mulkey used her postgame press conference after LSU’s first-round win over the weekend to go after the Post and threaten legal action against the paper and its investigative sports reporter Kent Babb. Mulkey said the way the piece was reported used her hectic schedule during the tournament against her and called it a “hit piece.”
Sharpe also predicted some of the details of the exposé.
“I think she caught wind that there are some disgruntled players that are a part of this article,” he said.
Early this season, star senior Angel Reese was away from the program for multiple week. Bench scorer Kateri Poole left the program in December. Mulkey did not disclose the reasons behind either situation.
“This is probably going to have to do with some former Baylor players, where she spent a lot of the former majority of her career,” Sharpe also said.
NCAA champion center Brittney Griner discussed in her first memoir how Mulkey got in the way of her being open about her sexuality. Griner’s number was retired in February under new women’s basketball coach Nicki Collen.
The Post story is supposed to drop this week, and Mulkey certainly may have juiced those click numbers quite a bit with her tirade against the paper’s staff.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.