Kim Mulkey calls coverage, criticism of LSU-South Carolina scuffle 'sexist'

The aftermath of a brawl between the LSU and South Carolina women’s basketball teams on Sunday has led to plenty of reactions across the country, many of them critical of how LSU coach Kim Mulkey responded to the incident.

The primary comment that drew scrutiny was Mulkey’s suggestion that things would have gone differently had South Carolina star Kamilla Cardoso pushed Angel Reese rather than Flau’jae Johnson.

Among others, ESPN’s Shannon Sharpe went after Mulkey for that comment.

On her radio show on Tuesday night, Mulkey seemed to push back yet again, suggesting that “shoving matches” don’t get that much attention or media coverage in the men’s game, even going so far as to suggest the criticism has been “sexist.”

“Call a foul. We like to play, and let them play, but at the end of the day a foul that’s just pretty obvious, you’ve got to call it,” Mulkey said. “Had nothing to do with the outcome of the game. Might have prevented what happened at the end of the game, I don’t know. But when you have, Patrick, two tough teams that play so hard that are so good and compete, those kind of things happen.

“And it’s so out of control with the media right now. You don’t get this much attention when men do it, so why do you keep writing it about the women? It really comes across, and I’ll just say it, it comes across as a little bit sexist. And you’re tearing down two great teams. You’re tearing down a woman that coaches one of those teams.

“Stop it. Stop it. It’s not newsworthy after the first introduction. And I’ve seen every men’s game that has had something like that and it’s no big deal. We mention it, we move on. Nobody got in a fight. There was no punches thrown. There was nobody choked. It was a shoving match. Whoop-dee-doo, so let’s move on.”

Whatever the case, the incident certainly did generate plenty of coverage.

Mulkey’s initial comments might have served to pour fuel on the fire, while South Carolina coach Dawn Staley struck a more apologetic and reserved tone following the incident.

“I wish she’d have pushed Angel Reese,” Mulkey said after the scuffle. “Don’t push a kid. You’re 6-8. Don’t push somebody that little. That was uncalled for, in my opinion. Let those two girls that were jawing, let them go at it.”

That comment drew subsequent criticism from Sharpe on ESPN’s First Take on Monday morning.

“Did you see the two differences in the stories and the coaches? You see what Dawn Staley said and how she tried to downplay it. And you see Kim Mulkey, and how she tried to up play it.” Sharpe said. “Really? Is that what you want? You want to see a fight? You want the women’s game to be marred by a fight? Really? Come on, Kim Mulkey. You’ve got to be better.”

Sharpe went on to suggest that Mulkey’s position as a multiple-time national title winning coach might have emboldened her. But he also noted that’s no reason she shouldn’t face scrutiny for out-of-pocket comments.

“Kim Mulkey has gone a long time and escaped criticism for the things that she’s said. Let’s hold Kim Mulkey to the same standards and the high levels that we hold all of these other great coaches to,” Sharpe said. “We’ve got to do a better job of holding her accountable. … She says and does a lot of things that rub me the wrong way. I’m not going to apologize for being as harsh and as stern as I am because of what she had to say yesterday.”