The journalist began his question by noting that it was the second consecutive year that LSU had been eliminated in the Elite Eight, and Mulkey entered, asking if it was good or “terrible”. The journalist replied: “Terrible”. Mulkey followed by asking: “How many finals you play?”
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LSU Lady Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey looks against the UCLA Bruins in the second half of a basketball match of the NCAA Elite Huit in Spokane Arena in Spokane, Washington, March 30, 2025. (Images James Snook-Imagn)
Mulkey’s exchange has become viral, and this led to Smith’s reaction to “First Take”.
“I’m not going to withdraw from the fact that Kim Mulkey is an excellent coach and an established coach,” said Smith. “We must finally say that about her – she is very coarse. She is very, very coarse. She is rude, she is condescending and unnecessarily for too many people.
“And it’s always with the right one. She doesn’t go up to bad. It’s almost as she knew, Shannon (Sharpe), who to do that and who don’t do that.
Women’s March Madness Final Four: what to know
Stephen A. Smith on ESPN NBA Countdown Live Set in Intuit Dome. (Kirby Lee-Imagn images)
Mulkey has a certain story with journalists in general.
Before the start of the tournament, Mulkey called a journalist for eating during his press conference after the Tigers lost in the SEC tournament against Texas.
She avoided a journalist from Washington Post last year for a story about the way she has treated gay players when she was Baylor’s head coach. She called the journalist “Sleazy”.
Mulkey also called the Los Angeles Times for a chronicle that described tigers as “bad guys” and “beginner dirty”, describing framing as sexist. The paper then modified the column.
LSU Tigers head coach, Kim Mulkey, and his team face Florida State in the second round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Monday, March 2025. (Scott Clause / USATODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Mulkey is one of the most efficient basketball coaches in the NCAA. She has 754-124 each time with four championships and five ends of the Final Four.
