A Year After Getting a Statue, Kim Mulkey Lauds LSU Veteran For Achieving Another Rare Feat

Shaquille O’Neal, Sha’Carri Richardson, Angel Reese, and Pete Maravich. The list of exceptional talents that Louisiana State University has produced is second to none. Recently, LSU fans were overjoyed when it was announced that their former player, Seimone Augustus, would be inducted into three Halls of Fame over the next six months. For her accomplishment, Augustus received support from all quarters, including that of the current LSU Lady Tigers coach, Kim Mulkey.

In an exclusive chat with LSU’s website, Mulkey extended strong backing for Augustus, praising the latter for registering her name in the history books. The applause from Mulkey’s side was well received by Augustus’s fans.

Kim Mulkey extends support to Seimone Augustus

As the current head coach of LSU, Mulkey recognized the former LSU player and reminded everyone of her glorious days. “Seimone Augustus is one of the greatest players in the history of our game. She has been successful at every level of basketball, and what she did for this program and this university deserves to be recognized,” Mulkey stated.

The 39-year-old will be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame on April 27, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame from June 20–22, and the Naismith Hall of Fame from October 12–13. Augustus started her college career at LSU in 2002. The two-time Naismith Player of the Year propelled her team to three Final Four appearances. She had an astounding average of 19.3 points per game with 5.2 rebounds per match. For her contribution during her senior year, she won the Lowe’s Senior Class Award. 

Her contributions were such that the No. 33 jersey worn by her was retired by the Lady Tigers in 2010. The college also placed a statue on its campus to commemorate their achievements alongside those of Shaquille O’Neal, Maravich, and Bob Pettit. She thus became the first female player in LSU’s program to receive such an honor in 2023. Not only this, but she contributed so much to the WNBA that her jersey was also retired by the Minnesota Lynx.

Mulkey’s history with Augustus dates back to 2002 when the former was an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech. Mulkey had then tried to recruit Augustus, who was fresh out of high school. It was during one of the visits to Louisiana Tech that Mulkey met her. As per the Advertiser, Mulkey could not enjoy the chance of coaching, but their teams clashed against each other several times. And with each match, the respect Mulkey had for Augustus only grew. Therefore, as the current head coach of Augustus’s alma mater, Mulkey just did the right thing. However, her applause for Augustus did not stop there.

Kim Mulkey also backed Seimone Augustus on X

Mulkey even retweeted the three Hall of Fame ceremonies from her official X account. She also reminded everyone of the date and time of those ceremonies. “Tune in at 5 p.m. to watch @seimoneaugustus get inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame! #ForeverLSU,” read the tweet. Now that Mulkey has shown great liking to Augustus despite not getting a chance to coach her, the 39-year-old will also extend her gratitude to Mulkey, and it might be possible that the duo have a balling session in their free time.

Mulkey would be keen to meet Augustus soon, and these ceremonies will give the LSU fans major nostalgia as they walk down memory lane.