Today we are covering…Kim Mulkey

Who is Kim Mulkey?

A polarizing figure who has done more than her haters would like, and so much more for the game of women’s basketball.

Kim Mulkey is a former point guard at Louisiana Tech where she led the team to 2 National Championships. Afterwards, Mulkey became the assistant coach at Louisiana Tech where the team appeared in both the Final Four and the National Championship.

In 1990, Mulkey was hired to be the head coach at Baylor University in Waco, TX. At this point in time, outside of a couple of standouts in track & field, some notable scholars, and the creation of Dr. Pepper, there was not much that Waco, let alone Baylor University was known for. Until Mulkey stepped on the scene.

Mulkey put the entire basketball and athletic department on her 5 foot 4 inches back for over 2 decades. During her tenure, she won 3 National Championships, multiple Big 12 regular season and tournament championships, Coach of the Year, and sent numerous players, including Brittney Griner and Odyssey Sims, to the WNBA.

Fast forward after the 2019 season, input a know-it-all athletic director, and Kim Mulkey moves to LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The LSU Era

Let the games begin. Mulkey’s move to LSU was a shock to the world, a disbelief by many, and the biggest F-U in college sports ever. As Kim and the Media called it, “Kim is coming home”.

Whether you are familiar with LSU women’s basketball or not, the program could be described as a “one hit” wonder. No disrespect, but after the likes of Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles the program cycled through average D1 players, with a resume that just did not compare since the 2000-2008 era. That is until Kim Mulkey walked on the scene as the new coach to breathe new life into the program.

Oh, and in her second year at LSU, she took her team all the way to the NCAA Championship and won it all.

What makes her so polarizing?

A few reasons why a fan of women’s basketball might not like Mulkey:

• Some call her MAGA Mulkey

  • Unconfirmed

• Her limited words on the Brittney Griner/ Russia situation

  • Realistically, it’s hard to voice your thoughts in today’s world when you are an anti-social media person. And Mulkey is not on social media

• Her coaching style

  • She is tough, vocal, animated, and demanding. If you are a referee, move out of the way when you are scheduled for one of her games

• Outspoken

  • When she does have something to say, she will let you know her authentic feelings during a post-game conference interview. Her famous words in the middle of her Eight Eight game was, “If I was watching this game at home, I’d turn it off!”

• She left Baylor

  • She left a top 5 program after 30 years that she built, which in turn has added a few more people on to her enemy list

The Mulkey Effect

While many have a distaste for Mulkey, it is hard to not respect what she has done for the players she has coached and the programs she has developed. Again I say, she just won the NCAA National Championship in her second year at LSU. That isn’t normal. Especially for a team that barely won more than 10 games before she entered the scene.

Women’s basketball is a sport that often brings up the topic of race as it is dominated by many talented black players, and a good handful end up playing for Mulkey. So, despite rumors on her political beliefs about Donald Trump, and her lack of support and activity on social media with her players now and former, (she has people running her accounts - she has never downloaded any of these apps) Mulkey is not letting herself detract from the focus on her current players’ development and her program’s development at LSU. I mean…this is what she is getting paid to do. She is dedicating her time, energy, and resources to ensure that her players have the tools they need to succeed both on and off the court. How many other coaches out there today make it their number 1 priority to ensure all of their student-athletes graduate with a degree before leaving?

Kim Mulkey's ability to recruit and develop players who come from vastly different backgrounds than her own is truly remarkable and often overlooked. Many of these players come from single-parent households, low-income families, and other challenging situations, yet Mulkey does not try to "white-wash" them or make them conform to a particular mold. Instead, she embraces their unique perspectives and allows them to be their authentic selves on the biggest stage, while also helping them develop into the best basketball players they can be. Mulkey's willingness to meet her players where they are, rather than imposing her own values or beliefs, is a testament to her outstanding coaching philosophy and leadership style.

In a world where over 100 players are entering the transfer portal a year, often due to dissatisfaction with their coach or other factors, it is worth noting that Mulkey’s players rarely, if it all, leave her program. Most notably, she is the one to kick a player off the team for breaking a team rule. (Check out Alexis Morris’ come back story. From getting kicked off the team at Baylor, to winning LSU’s first national championship in Mulkey’s second year). But, who’s to say with NIL taking over the world nowadays. Money talks. So it is interesting to see the hate for Mulkey grow as her success continues to grow when she is only looking to do what is best for these young players. You don’t win a NCAA National Championship in your second year for getting Twitter fingers and arguing with someone’s step-dad who never made it past High School in basketball. It’s commendable that she has not confirmed to this new form of sports and media and it seems to be working pretty well.

All that to say, Kim Mulkey is a highly successful and polarizing figure in the world of women’s basketball. She has achieved an incredible amount of success throughout her career as a player and as a coach, leading multiple teams to national championships and sending many players to the WNBA. While some may criticize her coaching style a nd political views, there is no denying the impact she has had on the sport and the players she has coached. Mulkey’s ability to recruit and develop players from diverse backgrounds while creating a successful team environment is a testament to her dedication and skill as a coach.

Full list of Mulkey’s players who were drafted to the WNBA:

1. Danielle Crockrom - Seattle Storm

2. Steffanie Blackmon - San Antonio Silver Stars

3. Sophia Young - San Antonio Silver Stars

4. Emily Niemann - Houston Comets

5. Jessika Stratton - San Antonio Silver Stars

6. Angela Tisdale - Los Angeles Sparks

7. Jhasmin Player - Los Angeles Sparks

8. Morghan Medlock - Connecticut Sun

9. Danielle WIlson - Los Angeles Sparks

10. Melissa Jones - San Antonio Silver Stars

11. Kelli Griffin - Connecticut Sun

12. Britney Griner - Phoenix Mercury

13. Destiny Williams - Seattle Storm

14. Jordan Madden - Chicago Sky

15. Brooklyn Pope - Chicago Sky

16. Odyssey Sims - Tulsa Shock

17. Sune Agbuke - Los Angeles Sparks

18. Nina Davis - Atlanta Dream

19. Khadijiah Cave - Phoenix Mercury

20. Alexis Prince - Phoenix Mercury

21. Kristy Wallace - Atlanta Dream

22. Kalani Brown - Los Angeles Sparks

23. Te’a Cooper - Phoenix Mercury

24. Lauren Cox - Indiana Fever

25. Juicy Landrum - Connecticut Sun

26. DiDi Richards - New York Liberty

27. Khayla Pointer - Las Vegas Aces

28. Alexis Morris - Connecticut Sun

29. LaDazhia Williams - Indiana Fever