Washington Post report on LSU’s Kim Mulkey an unflattering portrait, but short on revelations

The Washington Post on Saturday released an in-depth profile of Louisiana State University women’s basketball head coach Kim Mulkey, which paints the coach as a leader with single-minded determination whose behavior often leaves the basketball community, and her own players, divided.

Anticipation for WaPo’s report was high after Mulkey a week ago threatened to sue the Post over a “hit piece” she said the newspaper had been working on for more than two years.

The Post’s story does not contain the type of bombshell revelations that many were expecting following Mulkey’s fiery tirade last Saturday ahead of LSU’s second round game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

Instead, it paints a picture of a coach whose brash manner and tendency to hold a grudge make her one of the most polarizing figures in college basketball history, and of a life devoted to the pursuit of basketball excellence that has left in its wake a series of fractured relationships.

Mulkey briefly spoke to tournament broadcaster ESPN as her LSU team was preparing to tip-off its Sweet 16 game, with Mulkey saying she’d just learned that the article had been published.

“You’re telling me something I didn’t know,” Mulkey told ESPN. “So you’re the bearer of good news or bad news or however how you want to look at it. But are you really surprised? Are you really surprised by the timing of it? But I can tell you I haven’t read it, don’t know that I will read it, I’ll leave that up to my attorneys.”

Both LSU and Mulkey’s previous school Baylor University declined to comment on the Washington Post story when contacted by CNN.

On Saturday, No. 3 seeded LSU won its Sweet 16 game against No. 2 UCLA in Albany, New York.

Speaking to reporters after the win, Mulkey said the profile was not a distraction.

“Imagine that, must have thought y’all would look at it right? Get some clicks or be a distraction,” Mulkey said after the game.