Is Kim Mulkey Up For a Brittney Griner-Like Fallout With Angel Reese?

She was her best bet before she was dramatically benched and sidelined from the spotlight she was getting. The case of Angel Reese is getting as intriguing as the coach Kim Mulkey’s mind games. The LSU head coach is undeniably skilled when it comes to strategizing. She made the Lady Tigers a dominant force, but her disciplinarian methods often create controversies. With ‘Bayou Barbie’ out of action, many are calling it another Kim Mulkey-Brittney Griner brewing dispute.

Griner was Mulkey’s well-known protégé until the hell broke loose between them. At a September 2022 presser, Mulkey retorted “And you won’t” to a reporter who mentioned that he couldn’t recall the coach standing out in Griner’s development. The once-promising friendship soured due to the coach’s personal opinions. And now, many fear that a similar conflict may arise with Angel Reese as the coach continues to give shallow answers to the press.

Will Kim Mulkey and Angel Reese’s relationship fall apart?

From Baylor to LSU, Kim Mulkey has been raking controversies as some career-defining moments. Many CBB fans have expressed disapproval of the colorful coach and her high-handedness. Angel Reese’s case is only repeating history. Mulkey gave no explanation for the 21-year-old star’s strange absence from the team.

Although Reese was not required for LSU to overcome Texas Southern by 59 points on Monday, the head coach was unable to avoid questions about her star player during the post-game presser. Her confusing response to a question about Reese’s absence didn’t offer anything more about the LSU standout’s whereabouts.

“You always have to deal with locker room issues,” Mulkey said. “That’s just a part of coaching. I can’t recall a single moment in my forty years that I didn’t have to deal with problems. That is the role of coaches.”

Speaking of the previously mentioned “issues” her team was encountering, the coach said, “Sometimes you’ll know about them, and sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you want to know more than you’re entitled to know.” 

Read More: Kim Mulkey Hushes Angel Reese’s ‘Suspension’ Conundrum Hours After Stephen A. Smith’s Intuitive Guess on LSU Drama

While Kim’s response came when a reporter tried to extract information on Reese’s possible comeback, it evoked a blast from the past when the coach’s protégé suddenly fell from her attention.

The friction between Kim Mulkey and Brittney Griner

One notable blemish on Mulkey’s record was her refusal to publicly defend former player Brittney Griner when she faced legal trouble. Griner had been imprisoned in Russia for over ten months after being accused of possessing hashish oil.

However, this incident was not the first time their paths crossed during their time in college. Mulkey, as the head coach of the Baylor Bears, played a significant role in developing Griner into a WNBA standout. Griner, in her book “In My Skin,” revealed that she came out to Mulkey after being drafted as the first overall pick in the 2013 WNBA draft. The coach reaffirmed her position.

When questioned if she had any LGBTQ+ athletes on her team during an interview, Mulkey’s response was unexpected, as she simply stated that it didn’t matter as long as Griner performed well on the court. Mulkey occasionally provided the customary air of general support.

The same feud has apparently returned to haunt another star in another team. But the question is, will Kim Mulkey clear the deck for Angel Reese’s comeback? It looks highly unlikely given the coach’s press posturing and her ambiguous statements.

Watch This Story: 51 Days Away From Return, Ja Morant Teases Grizzlies Reunion With 4 Words