Kim Mulkey, the legendary Louisiana State College ladies’s basketball coach, stated twice Saturday she hadn’t but learn The Washington Publish’s profile on her eternal athletic profession.

“Are you actually stunned by the timing of it?” she rhetorically asked a reporter forward of the Tigers’ Candy 16 look in opposition to UCLA, which LSU gained 78-69, paving their strategy to the Elite Eight and a doable second straight nationwide title.

The extremely anticipated article by reporter Kent Babb was revealed hours earlier than the sport.

“I haven’t learn it,” Mulkey stated of the article, including that she does not “know that I’ll learn it” and that it will likely be left as much as her attorneys whether or not she does.

Mulkey lashed out on the Publish at a information convention on March 23.

She stated the reporter, whom she didn’t identify, had been making an attempt for 2 years to get her to take a seat for an interview for the piece, after which contacted LSU on March 19 “as we had been preparing for the first-round sport of this event with greater than a dozen questions, demanding a response by Thursday, proper earlier than we’re scheduled to tip off.”

She known as the deadline “ridiculous” and stated she “couldn’t presumably meet it.”

“It was simply an try to stop me from commenting and an try to distract us from this event. It ain’t going to work, buddy,” Mulkey continued.

She threatened to “sue The Washington Publish in the event that they publish a false story about me.”

“Not many individuals are able to carry these sort of journalists accountable, however I’m, and I’ll do it,” Mulkey stated throughout the information convention.

The article, revealed per week after these feedback as LSU cruises via the ladies’s March Insanity bracket, delves into Mulkey’s historical past as each a basketball participant and coach.

It touches on private tales about her household and upbringing — together with her strained relationship along with her father and sister — particulars her legendary profession as a participant at Louisiana Tech, and lays out her historical past with a few of her former gamers, together with Brittney Griner, Kelli Griffin and Emily Niemann, who’ve questioned whether or not Mulkey supported their sexuality.

The story paints an image of a extremely expert participant who gained two nationwide championships whereas at Louisiana Tech and an Olympic gold medal for Staff USA in 1984, and of a fancy and pushed coach who has had many highs — together with 4 nationwide titles, three whereas she led the Baylor Woman Bears.

She has additionally been mired in controversy, the article lays out, with one former teammate of Mulkey’s saying she wished Mulkey had made extra of a press release in assist of Griner whereas she was detained in a Russian jail, save for one touch upon a radio present.

Talking Saturday at a postgame convention following LSU’s win, Mulkey once more stated she hadn’t learn the Publish’s article and acted stunned to be taught it was revealed simply hours earlier than her workforce hit the court docket.

“Think about that. Should have thought y’all would have a look at it, proper, get some clicks or be a distraction. I have never learn it and I in all probability will not learn it. I in all probability can have my attorneys talk with me to see if there’s something there that we have to be involved about,” Mulkey informed reporters.

Requested for remark in regards to the Publish article, a consultant for LSU pointed NBC Information to Mulkey’s postgame convention.

LSU performs the Iowa Hawkeyes on Monday for a spot within the Last 4.