Kim Mulkey’s fiery message to reporters after Angel Reese’s absence from LSU
In a press conference on Wednesday, LSU women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey expressed her displeasure with the media's handling of the absence of star player Angel Reese . Reese, who had been missing from the lineup for four consecutive games, is set to return for Thursday's home game against No. 9 Virginia Tech.
During the nearly 30-minute conference, Mulkey used about 10 minutes to address her frustrations with the media's coverage of the situation, opening with a joke: “It is a wonderful wonderful profession until I have to deal with y’all,” She highlighted her openness to interviews, saying, “Have I ever, ever turned down any of y'all down for an interview? Never, unless I can't do it that day. Pretty much available, right?”
Mulkey expressed that while she is open to questions, she expects fair treatment, especially when she cannot provide the answers sought by reporters.
“All I ask as a coach is if I don't give you the answer you want, don't attack me for that. Don't attack and make it personal. Is that fair?” she said, via Patrick Magee of Nola.com.
The veteran coach also pointed out the personal nature of some media reports.
“Some of you take it to a personal level, and I don't understand that ... I would never attack any of you for writing a bad article about me if you didn't think I made the right call. That's fair game,” Muley said. “But to attack somebody on a personal level, am I wrong about that? Yes or no?”
“They know who they are. Y'all know who they are. For not answering the question the way you should answer it, that's not journalism in my book. Maybe I'm too old. Maybe I need to get out. You get realness with me,” she continued.
Kim Mulkey doubles-down on locker room issues
The press conference ran longer than planned, but Mulkey was keen to continue the discussion. Addressing a suggestion that revealing Reese's reason for absence might have quelled speculation, Mulkey disagreed, highlighting the nature of modern media .
“No, it wouldn't. You guys know that,” she said. “That's the world we live in now.”
Mulkey previously alluded to “ locker room issues ” when discussing Reese's absence, reiterating the importance of privacy in her latest comments.
“There's also what's called the sacredness of the locker room,” she said. “What's in that locker room stays in that locker room, unless it's something that becomes public that you can't hide. But what goes on in that locker room, guys, it's still sacred to me, and will always be.”
With Reese's return and the No. 7 Tigers set for a crucial match-up Thursday, the focus is back to the court. Mulkey, just one win away from her 700th career victory, will be hoping to guide her team to success amid the ongoing media scrutiny.
