The LSU women’s basketball team is loved in Louisiana, but outside of the Bayou State there are those who do not appreciate their style of play.
They don’t like coach Kim Mulkey’s outfits, her taking on the media, her players in your face style of play, or Angel Reese’s antics.
Social media really pays attention to what Reese does with her hands. Whether it’s waving them in front of her face in last year’s national championship game at Iowa’s Caitlin Clark or waving good-bye to Middle Tennessee’s Anastasiia Boldyreva after she fouled out in last Sunday’s game against the Blue Raiders.
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This all prompted Los Angeles Times Columnist Ben Bolch to describe Saturday’s Sweet 16 matchup between UCLA and LSU as America’s sweethearts versus its basketball villains.
Mulkey took time out of her postgame press conference on Saturday to lash out at Bolch.
“How dare people attack kids like that,” Mulkey said. ‘You don’t have to like the way we play, the way we trash talk, you don’t have to like any of that, we are good with that, but I can’t sit up here as a mother and grandmother and a leader of young people and allow someone to say that, I don’t get that, I’m sorry.”
“I know sexism when I see it and read it, that was awful,” Mulkey said.
The latest viral video from an LSU game comes from Reese who had some words for UCLA ‘s bench after she fouled out late in Saturday’s win over the Bruins. UCLA Coach Cori Close couldn’t believe a technical foul was not called on Reese, which would have led to two free throws for UCLA as they were down six points with 31.5 seconds.
Then in the postgame handshake line a UCLA assistant coach and Reese exchanged a few words.
Reese said in the postgame it was a coach “talking crazy” and didn’t elaborate.
All of this sets up an epic Elite Eight matchup between LSU and Iowa, a rematch of last year’s national championship game won by the Lady Tigers.
Considering Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark is loved by many and there are many who are tired of Angel Reese’s act and Kim Mulkey’s wardrobe expect a little bit more hate to flow in LSU’s direction.
But this angst against the LSU women’s basketball team seems to be fueling them towards another Final Four appearance.