There are few figures in the state of Louisiana who are more recognizable or well-known than Kim Mulkey.
From her bayou heritage to her flashy game-day fashion and unapologetic intensity, she’s been fully embraced by LSU since coming over from Baylor. At the same time, the women’s basketball team has risen to prominence with the program’s first championship in Mulkey’s second year.
The Washington Post’s recent article, though mostly a positive feature of a competitive-minded coach, highlights some of Mulkey’s more problematic choices as a coach.
Here’s the full timeline of Mulkey’s controversies throughout her coaching career:
May 2013 – Brittney Griner ESPN story
Just over a year removed from her second NCAA championship as a coach, Mulkey came under fire for her relationship with the cornerstone player of that team.
Brittney Griner, a recent graduate from Baylor who was embarking on the next chapter of her career in the WNBA, was featured by ESPN in an article where she said she felt suppressed at Baylor.
Griner, who is a lesbian, said that in addition to Baylor’s policy against “homosexual acts,” which the private Christian school didn’t remove from its rules until 2015, she felt pressured by Mulkey to hide her sexual identity.
In the article, Griner said she felt that Mulkey wouldn’t have approved if she had publicly come out as gay. She also said that Mulkey required her to cover up her tattoos by wearing long sleeves under her jersey.
Both Griner and a Baylor teammate sourced in the article said Mulkey and the coaching staff thought that having an openly gay player would look bad for recruiting.
“The coaches thought if it seemed like they condoned it, people wouldn’t let their kids play for Baylor,” Griner said in the article.
Mulkey’s only comment on the controversy was a statement in the article that she released through a spokesperson.
“Brittney Griner represented Baylor University proudly on and off the basketball court, and she leaves behind an incredible legacy,” the statement read. “I cannot comment on personal matters surrounding any of our student-athletes, but I can tell you Brittney will always be a celebrated member of the Baylor family.”
Kate Fagan, the reporter responsible for the Griner feature, said that in May 2021, while being interviewed on a podcast, Mulkey had contacted ESPN’s higher-ups after the article’s release to say that Fagan should be fired, believing she had forced Griner to say what she’d said.
February 2017 – Comments on Baylor sexual assault scandal
Mulkey was again in the news because of her comments regarding Baylor’s sexual assault scandal in 2017.
For several years, Baylor was the focus of a long and wide-ranging investigation that led to the resignation of the university president and athletic director and the firing of football head coach Art Briles.
Baylor had reportedly mishandled and overlooked sexual assault allegations involving members of its football team, which came to light after the convictions of several players for sexual assault prompted an internal investigation that began in 2015.
Mulkey commented on the continued press coverage of the controversy after a game against Texas Tech.
“I’m tired of hearing it. This is a great institution,” Mulkey said. “The problems we have at Baylor are no different than the problems at any other school in America.”
While addressing the Baylor crowd that night, Mulkey also said the fans should “knock” Baylor’s critics “right in the face,” which she later apologized for.
March 2021 – Comments on COVID-19
After her team was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament in an Elite Eight loss to UConn, Mulkey made a brief comment saying that the NCAA should forego its COVID-19 testing for the Final Four.
“They need to dump the COVID testing,” Mulkey said. “Wouldn’t it be a shame to keep COVID testing, and then you’ve got kids that end up having to test positive or something, and then they don’t get to play in the Final Four?”
Mulkey advocated for suspending COVID-19 testing in order to keep the Final Four teams intact so teams would have their full rosters available.
Earlier in the year, Mulkey had tested positive for COVID-19, and her team had several games postponed or canceled. Many criticized Mulkey’s comments for being tone-deaf and insensitive to the seriousness of COVID-19.
September 2022 – Brittney Griner’s detainment in Russia
In February 2022, Griner was arrested in Russia on drug smuggling charges because her suitcase contained less than a gram of cannabis in the form of vape cartridges.
After Griner’s arrest, she was held in Russia for almost ten months despite the minor charge. Griner pled guilty and was formally sentenced but continued to be held in prison, with the United States declaring she had been wrongfully detained.
The debate around Griner’s situation and how the U.S. should intervene became increasingly politically charged.
In September, Mulkey was asked her opinion on the situation involving her former player in a press conference, with the reporter who asked the question saying he hadn’t seen her say anything on it.
“And you won’t,” Mulkey said and moved on.
Two of Mulkey’s former players at Baylor, Queen Egbo and Chloe Jackson, were among those who criticized her refusal to speak out in favor of Briner.
November 2023 – Angel Reese’s return
Earlier this season, star LSU player Angel Reese missed four games for unspecified reasons that Mulkey declined to explain, only saying that it was an internal matter.
In a November press conference where she officially announced Reese would be returning for LSU’s upcoming game with Virginia Tech, Mulkey chided reporters who continued to ask for more details on Reese’s absence.
“I’m waiting for y’all to get past it,” Mulkey said. “We’re past it… It’s just we have to come in here and answer questions, and that becomes aggravating.”
Mulkey spoke about feeling that media coverage of her was often overly critical or personal. She said her main concern is always protecting her locker room.
