The LSU run to a national title helped create a new level of visibility around the sport, and with that comes added scrutiny.
But Kim Mulkey is having none of the trash talk pearl clutching that's invaded social media following her team's fiery victory over Iowa, with star Angel Reese catching flak for mirroring Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark's own celebration back at her, with a bit of interest, as the clock winded down.
"People either like it or they don’t like it," Mulkey told Mike Detillier on SportsTalk. "But you can’t pick and choose when you like it. You can’t pick and choose which player it’s OK to allow to do it and then vilify the other one. It’s part of athletics."
Listen to the full interview with Kim Mulkey in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
Trash talk has always been a part of sports, it's just easier to see and hear now with cameras and mics seemingly everywhere. It wasn't quite as easy to hear back in 1984 when Mulkey sat courtside to watch a Dream Team scrimmage where Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Larry Bird and others squared off in front of 72,000 people at the old RCA Dome. You might not have heard it, but she did, and she was "in heaven" getting to experience that firsthand.
"This is the part of the game that the average fan has no idea takes place," Mulkey said, "and it’s nothing personal … it’s competitors."
Related
She challenged the assertion that such behavior is equivalent to bullying. It's simply competition in the heat of battle, and players understand that. Clark herself echoed that on Tuesday, telling ESPN that she had no issue with anything Reese did.
Mulkey herself isn't fazed by any of it, because she's a trash-talker herself. And she's got an important warning for anyone who might not be able to handle it.
“Don’t sit near my timeouts, that’s what I tell people. Don’t sit near my timeouts if you’re going to offended by intense — possibly — language, intense moments. We are in the heat of a battle," she said. "And I don’t even remember sometimes the things I say in a timeout. I’m trying to motivate. I’m trying to correct them. I’m trying to draw up plays. It’s just, it’s sports. And you cannot compare what’s done on the court or the field and try to say it’s wrong."
Related
━━
MORE FROM KIM MULKEY
HAS YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT SUNKEN IN YET?
“I think if I can just catch up, and I know they say you never catch up on your rest, but if I could just sleep a little bit and just relax, I just feel like I’m in my mode of ‘what’s next?’ As soon as I get done with y’all I’m going to grab a late lunch, we’re going to go to the baseball game and one of my players is throwing out the first pitch. Then tomorrow I’ve got to do this for the president, on Friday the Pelicans game. When it all settles down, I’m going to go: What in the world did we just do?”
━━
ON THE 3-POINT SHOOTING
“Well the stars were aligned because two games prior to that I think I told people turn your TVs off because this is one ugly offensive basketball game against Miami. If I was watching I’d turn the TV off. But it shows you that you just stay the course, you keep grinding, you know what you’re capable of doing, and to think we scored 102 points in the national championship game against Iowa, a team that was leading the country in scoring.”
Related
━━
ON WHAT COMES NEXT
“Well we’re going to enjoy being home. Pelicans, we’re coming over there Friday. The kids are going to be acknowledged at a Pelicans game. We’re going to do the parade here, and hopefully we’ll get that invite. We have not received it yet, but we anticipate we will. And we will sure go to that White House and get to do things that not many people get to do. You can tour the White House and all that, but you don’t get to go behind the scenes and go in that Oval Office. This will be my fourth team and I’m looking forward to it.”