LSU coach Kim Mulkey strongly criticized The Washington Post on Saturday, alleging that the newspaper had been pursuing a negative portrayal of her for the past two years, which she referred to as a “hit piece.
” Mulkey claimed that the paper had imposed an impractical deadline for her to respond to questions just before the defending national champion Tigers were set to compete in the women’s NCAA tournament.
Expressing frustration with award-winning Post reporter Kent Babb, whom she didn’t name directly, Mulkey asserted that the timing of the questions was disruptive and designed to prevent her from commenting during the tournament. Babb confirmed to The Associated Press that he was indeed working on a profile of Mulkey but declined further comment, as did The Washington Post.
Mulkey, now in her third season at LSU, highlighted her refusal to be interviewed by Babb two years ago due to her dissatisfaction with his previous work, particularly regarding an article on Brian Kelly.
She took to social media to express her frustration, stating her intention to take legal action against The Washington Post if they published false information about her, citing her engagement of a top defamation law firm for that purpose.
Furthermore, Mulkey accused Babb of misleading her former assistant coaches into speaking with him by implying that she had agreed to an interview. She expressed disappointment with the situation, stating that her former coaches felt deceived upon realizing that she hadn’t consented to an interview.
Additionally, Mulkey revealed that former players had informed her of The Washington Post’s attempts to solicit negative comments about her, even offering anonymity in exchange.
