The Tigers advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament Sunday
LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey is threatening to sue The Washington Post if it publishes a "false story" about her.
During her opening statement in a press conference appearance ahead of the Tigers’ second round matchup against Middle Tennessee, Mulkey addressed media rumors that the outlet was contacting former "disgruntled" players in an attempt to put out a "hit piece."
LSU coach Kim Mulkey during the first quarter of the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament Championship game at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. Sunday, March 10, 2024. (Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK)
"I wouldn’t normally discuss media rumors about me, but I felt the need to publicly address what exactly this reporter for The Washington Post has been doing the past several years and the lengths he has gone to try and put a hit piece together," Mulkey said Saturday.
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She alleged that the reporter, whom she did not name, has been working for two years to try and get a story out on her, adding that she has denied interview requests because of the "hit job" he wrote on LSU football coach Brian Kelly.
Mulkey said the reporter had contacted the school on Tuesday with "more than a dozen questions" and "demanded" a response by the time of their first-round tip off.
"Are you kidding me? This was a ridiculous deadline that LSU and I could not possibly meet, and the reporter knew it. It was just an attempt to prevent me from coming and an attempt to distract us from this tournament. It ain’t gonna work, buddy."
Head coach Kim Mulkey of the LSU Lady Tigers is seen during the third quarter against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game at American Airlines Center on March 31, 2023, in Dallas, Texas. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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The veteran coach alleged that the outlet has contacted former players with the goal of getting "negative quotes."
"Former players have told me that The Washington Post has contacted them and offered to let them be anonymous in a story if they’ll say negative things about me. The Washington Post has called former disgruntled players to get negative quotes to include in their story," she said.
"Reporters who give a megaphone to a one-sided embellished version of things aren’t trying to tell the truth. They’re trying to sell newspapers and feed the click machine. This is exactly why people don’t trust journalists and the media anymore. It’s these kinds of sleazy tactics and hatchet jobs that people are just tired of. I’m fed up."
LSU Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey listens to a question from the media after defeating the Ole Miss Rebels at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. (Ken Ruinard/The Greenville News via USA TODAY NETWORK)
Mulkey said she has hired a legal team with the prospect of suing the outlet if such a story is published.
"I’ve hired the best defamation law firm in the country and I will sue The Washington Post if they publish a false story about me."
The Washington Post did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Paulina Dedaj is a Sports Reporter for Fox News Digital.
