The Washington Post’s extensive profile of LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey garnered national attention in March after she preemptively addressed the yet-to-be-published story at an impassioned news conference.
Mulkey, who was preparing LSU for a second-round NCAA Tournament matchup against Middle Tennessee the next day, led his March 23 press conference with a rare opening statement, calling reporter Kent Babb’s story (a who did not name) as a “success”. piece” and saying that he had hired a lawyer, threatening to sue the national publication “if they publish a false story about me.”
The Washington Post story was published a week later, as LSU prepared for a Sweet Sixteen game against UCLA in Albany, New York. Mulkey said at the time that he had not read the story, but that he would have his attorneys do so.
What did Mulkey say about the Washington Post story before it was published? And what did The Post intend to report?
The Daily Advertiser obtained through an open records request email correspondence between LSU officials and The Post, including Babb, during a 30-day span before Mulkey’s news conference. Those emails uncover details that shed light on the line of questions the outlet had for Mulkey about his profile and LSU’s response to those questions. Those emails also give insight into what The Post had planned to report compared to what was ultimately published.
It is not uncommon for news organizations to fail to report everything they want for a story for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, protecting sources and the inability to verify information.
Further:Kim Mulkey vs. The Washington Post: Everything We Know
A spokesperson for The Washington Post provided a statement to The Daily Advertiser on Friday saying it “stands with Kent Babb and his reporting.”
The Post story explored through numerous sources how Mulkey holds grudges, has had troubled relationships with former players and her coaching style, which while controversial, has led her to the highest levels of success on the court. She also examined her treatment of gay players over the years.
Here’s a look at key topics The Washington Post told LSU it planned to publish that didn’t appear in the story.
Angel Reese Allegedly Involved In 2022 Feud With Unnamed Teammates In Front Of Recruits
In an email dated March 19 from Babb to LSU Sports Information Director Grant Kauvar, four days before Mulkey addressed the impending story at the press conference, Babb provided LSU with a “summary” of things he he felt that they “deserved a warning.”
One of them was information Babb wrote he received from several people about a team meeting in 2022 during which players were required to turn off their phones and leave them in another room while Mulkey addressed the team.
Babb wrote: “This was after a fight involving Angel Reese, witnessed by one of my sources, that occurred in front of visiting recruits. One of these people present at the team meeting shared that Mulkey said, ‘This whole locker room is garbage.'”
The Daily Advertiser, part of the USA Today Network, has not been able to independently confirm whether Reese was involved in a fight. Efforts to obtain comment from Reese through her WNBA team, the Chicago Sky, were unsuccessful. LSU had no comment on the matter.
LSU basketball player allegedly disciplined for showing support for Brittney Griner
Mulkey’s estranged relationship with his former star player at Baylor, Brittney Griner, is well documented. While Griner was detained in Russia for much of 2022 on drug charges, The Daily Advertiser asked Mulkey to comment on her former player, but she declined, saying “you won’t.”
In Babb’s email, he wrote, “an LSU player was disciplined as a result of taking a screenshot and sharing a message on social media supporting Griner during his arrest.”
That was not part of the published story. The advertiser could not confirm whether an LSU player was disciplined and the school declined to comment.
The Washington Post attempts to interview Kim Mulkey
During Mulkey’s March 23 press conference, she said The Washington Post had been working on the story for a long time, mentioning “the lengths (Babb) has gone to try to put together a hit piece. This reporter has been working on a story about me for two years. After two years of trying to get me to sit down with him for an interview, he contacted LSU on Tuesday as we were preparing for the first round game of this tournament.
“I told this reporter two years ago that I didn’t appreciate the work he wrote about (LSU football coach) Brian Kelly, and that’s why I wasn’t going to do an interview with him.”
The scope of the Daily Advertiser’s registration request only included the previous 30 days. The first correspondence between The Washington Post and LSU during that time dates back to February 8.
Babb’s email to Kauvar said he had a conversation with then-LSU Associate Director of Athletics, Chief Brand Officer Cody Worsham, and that Babb wanted to review “the possibility of a good Kim profile, and about my visit soon to present it face to face.” .”
The next day, February 9, Kauvar emailed Babb saying that “at this time we will pass up the opportunity.”
Babb requested another meeting with Mulkey that same day and mentioned that he had read his book. LSU again declined, as Kauvar wrote on Feb. 13, “At this time Coach Mulkey would deny a request to speak to The Washington Post, whether on or off the record. He said that he is focused on finishing the final part of the season with his team.”
Babb later requested and was approved for a credential for LSU’s regular season home finale against Kentucky on March 3 and was present. He remained in Baton Rouge the next two days hoping to get an interview with Mulkey.
According to the emails, the next time Babb reached out via written correspondence, hoping to speak with Mulkey for the story, was on March 19 at 6:17 p.m., providing the “summary” of things in an “effort for fairness, transparency and professionalism.” .” He noted that the Washington Post’s deadline for making changes to the story was Thursday, March 21 at 11 a.m., and that it would be available by phone until 1 p.m. CT on March 20 and would be contactable by email after that. date.
Worsham conveyed to Babb on Wednesday, March 20, that due to the “seriousness of some of these allegations, which spanned decades and many of which we have no information or recollection, we need more time and information to properly address them as a staff and consult with a legal adviser”.
Kim Mulkey and the Washington Post hire lawyers for their story
LSU expanded on The Post’s allegations via email on March 20, requesting “more time to gather facts to address these potentially defamatory allegations, which span several decades. We are currently preparing for an NCAA tournament game and need more time to properly address them. Learn more about who is making these accusations. Many of these accusations are vague and without knowing who is making them or the period in which they supposedly occurred, we cannot adequately address them. Please provide the names of those who are registered and more details about those who are not registered to help clarify and inform our response.
“At this time, we see multiple factual errors that need to be corrected,” the email said.
Further:LSU’s Kim Mulkey Responds to Washington Post Profile: “Are You Really Surprised by the Moment?”
Further:Kim Mulkey press conference: Everything the LSU women’s coach said about the impending Washington Post story
The same day, Babb told LSU that, with it being the start of the NCAA Tournament, that timing was also affected by the Washington Post’s ending. But he did provide LSU with some names of sources who spoke with him on the record, and all were included in the story when it was published: former Baylor players Kelli Griffin, Emily Niemann and DiDi Richards.
Babb mentioned that he could not share the identities of some of his sources due to “credible fears about possible retaliation after speaking honestly about sensitive topics, particularly in the close-knit women’s basketball community.” Information from some anonymous sources was used in the Washington Post article.
Mulkey said she had hired “the best defamation law firm in the country” and would sue the outlet if it published a false story about her.
According to the emails, The Washington Post also worked through its legal team while Babb worked on the story.
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