Kim Mulkey vs The Washington Post: Everything we know

BATON ROUGE – LSU women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey has threatened the sue The Washington Post if the outlet publishes a "false story about me."

Mulkey said Saturday during her press conference ahead of LSU women's basketball's 2024 NCAA Tournament second-round game against Middle Tennessee inside Pete Maravich Assembly Center that she has hired the "best defamation law firm" and would take legal action if the news outlet publishes a story about her containing erroneous information.

Mulkey prepared an opening statement that went nearly four minutes in length.

Prior to LSU's first-round game against Rice on Friday, reports began to circulate on social media about The Washington Post working on an article on Mulkey that could be released as early as next week, and that "wagons (were) being circled."

Here is what we know.

When did The Washington Post reach out to Kim Mulkey, LSU?

Mulkey opened her statement Saturday by saying The Post first reached out to her two years ago about the story. An athletic department source confirmed to The Daily Advertiser that the school was first approached by The Post as part of its reporting two years ago.

For two years, the news organization sought a sit-down interview with Mulkey, which she said Saturday that she has been unwilling to do. Then, the outlet reached back out this past Tuesday, two days prior to LSU's NCAA Tournament opener at home versus Rice, with "more than two dozen questions, demanding a response by Thursday right before we're scheduled to tip off," Mulkey said.

"Are you kidding me?' Mulkey said. "This was a ridiculous deadline that LSU and I could not possibly meet, and the reporter knew it.

"Unfortunately, this is part of a pattern that goes back years. I told this reporter two years ago that I didn't appreciate the hit job he wrote on (LSU football coach) Brian Kelly, and that's why I wasn't going to do an interview with him."

What is The Washington Post alleging?

The contents of the rumored, as-yet-unpublished reporting by The Washington Post regarding Mulkey are unclear. When contacted for comment Saturday, The Washington Post declined to comment to the USA Today Sports Network.

According to Mulkey, the outlet has spent the better part of two years calling and contacting Mulkey's former coaches and players.

Mulkey alleges that The Washington Post has called "former disgruntled players to get negative quotes to include in their story."

"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," she said. "... They're ignoring the 40-plus years of positive stories that people – or they have heard from people about me."

What Kim Mulkey alleges about The Washington Post's reporting methods

Mulkey cited a story she called a "hit job" the outlet wrote on LSU football coach Brian Kelly two years ago.

"Unfortunately, this is a pattern that goes back years," Mulkey said.

Mulkey alleges The Post misled two of her former college coaches, with a reporter leaving messages that the reporter was "with me in Baton Rouge to get them to call him back, trying to trick these coaches into believing that I was working" with The Post on the story, she said.

She said her former coaching colleagues "were just distraught, and they felt completely misled" after learning that Mulkey had turned down interview requests from the outlet and was not cooperating with the reporter.

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"You see, 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," Mulkey said.

"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."

Will Kim Mulkey take legal action?

While The Washington Post has not published any story on Mulkey or LSU women's basketball out of its reporting, she has gotten out ahead of it with her statement at the news conference.

She told reporters that she has hired " the best defamation law firm in the country" with plans to take action if the story reports any falsehoods about her.

"I'm fed up, and I'm not going to let The Washington Post attack this university, this awesome team of young women I have, or me without a fight. 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," Mulkey said.

"Not many people are in a position to hold these kinds of journalists accountable, but I am, and I'll do it."

When does LSU women's basketball play again?

No. 3 LSU (29-5) faces off against No. 11 Middle Tennessee (30-4) in the second round of the Women's NCAA Tournament inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center Sunday (2 p.m., ABC).

The winner will advance to the Sweet 16 in Albany, New York, next weekend.

Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Kim Mulkey vs The Washington Post: Here is everything we know