Latest news with #Mulkey
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
LSU women's basketball adds elite transfer from rival South Carolina
Malaysia Fulwiley is transferring to LSU women's basketball after two seasons with South Carolina. Kim Mulkey and LSU are getting one of the top guards in the transfer portal. LSU struggled to find consistency at the point guard position in 2024-25. In adding Fulwiley, LSU is looking to bring stability to its backcourt. Advertisement The rising junior won a national championship with the Gamecocks as a freshman and went to the title game again in 2025. Largely used as a reserve, Fulwiley garners attention for her craftiness on the offensive end and in transition. She averaged 11.7 points per contest in each of her two collegiate seasons. Fulwiley was Second Team All-SEC and named the conference's Sixth Woman of the Year last season. Coming out of high school, Fulwiley was ranked as the No. 13 overall prospect in the country, per ESPN's rankings. The addition of Fulwiley to the backcourt gives Flau'jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams a reliable scorer who can shoot from distance and create off the dribble. Mulkey's team likes to cause turnovers and score points in transition, making LSU a strong fit for Fulwiley. Fulwiley brings loads of postseason success and scoring capabilities to an LSU team looking to make another run at the national championship. LSU is losing a significant amount of production, but transfers like Fulwiley along with an elite high school recruiting class should give Mulkey one of the sport's top rosters again. Advertisement Fulwiley's commitment is not a surprise. The South Carolina guard was trending to LSU for a few days. On3's Talia Goodman predicted LSU as the destination last week. This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU women's basketball adds elite transfer guard from South Carolina
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kim Mulkey Makes Major LSU Retirement Statement
Kim Mulkey has firmly cemented her legacy as a legend. Lately, however, she is sounding more like someone weighing the exit than chasing another title. The LSU head coach, who just two years ago led the Tigers to a national title behind a star-studded roster that included Angel Reese, is opening up about what's wearing her down. Advertisement 'I want to educate you in a way where you understand what's going on,' Mulkey said at a recent luncheon, according to The Advocate's Jan Risher. 'LSU takes care of me, OK? Our coaches are well paid, I'm well paid. But this NIL, here's the deal ... .' Mulkey's message went beyond LSU. It was a candid look at the financial reality facing women's basketball as a whole. 'For all of us in athletics, we've got to pull for football, and we've got to pull for men's basketball because the NCAA Tournament is where the men in basketball get the money and we reap it. When we get to the College Football Playoffs, we reap it,' she explained. Even women's basketball powerhouses aren't in the black. Advertisement The South Carolina Gamecocks, for instance, brought in $5.9 million in revenue in fiscal year 2024 — but reported $11.5 million in expenses. 'Even though you win national championships and you get to the tournament, there's no dollar value from TV that they're paying the same way they do for the men,' Mulkey said. Mulkey also opened up about the high cost of recruiting in today's NIL era. When asked what a player like South Carolina transfer MiLaysia Fulwiley might cost, Mulkey was blunt. 'Some kids can be 400,000. Some kids can be 500 grand,' Mulkey admitted. And then, almost offhandedly, Mulkey revealed what might really be weighing on her. Advertisement As Risher reported, the luncheon wasn't just about raising awareness — it was, in Mulkey's own words, 'to keep me from retiring.' Mulkey is one of the sport's giants. A four-time NCAA Tournament champion at Baylor (three) and LSU (one), she's won 12 Big 12 regular season titles, 11 Big 12 Tournament crowns and coached legends along the way, including Reese, Brittney Griner and Odyssey Sims, among many others. LSU head coach Kim Mulkey talks with Angel Hinton-Imagn Images But right now, she's spending less time on sets and zone reads — and more on selling donors on why LSU needs half a million dollars to land elite players. So, no farewell yet — but the weight of the times is clearly being felt. Related: 5-Star College Basketball Recruit Makes Major Kentucky Statement
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
What Kim Mulkey said about MiLaysia Fulwiley following transfer to LSU women's basketball
LSU women's basketball shook up the landscape by securing a commitment from MiLaysia Fulwiley out of the transfer portal. The former South Carolina guard made a name for herself as a crafty playmaker off the bench for one of the nation's deepest squads. Head coach Kim Mulkey highlighted Fulwiley's creativity and athleticism as major reasons why she fits the Tigers' roster. The former Gamecock averaged 11.7 points as a sophomore, second-best on the team in 2024-25. Advertisement "[She stands out] as one of the most electrifying talents in college basketball," Mulkey said. One of the top-ranked recruits in her class, Fulwiley made an immediate impact upon her arrival to South Carolina. She played 18.4 minutes per game with over 11 points and almost two steals per contest. Through her two seasons in Columbia, she amassed plenty of postseason experience and scoring success. Fulwiley likely completes LSU's backcourt alongside Flau'jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams. Mulkey may expect her to pick up point guard responsibilities, but will certainly look forward to seeing what Fulwiley can do in transition alongside the returning pair of guards. This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU transfer portal: Mulkey talks big addition of MiLaysia Fulwiley
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kim Mulkey praises Angel Reese at Sky preseason matchup at LSU: 'What is there not to like about Angel Reese?'
On Friday, Angel Reese returned to LSU for a long-awaited homecoming — and former head coach Kim Mulkey had some high praise. The second-year forward went back to Baton Rouge for the first time since graduating as part of a preseason matchup between the Chicago Sky and the Brazilian national team. As Reese racked up 11 first-half points, leading a very dominant-looking Chicago past Brazil, Mulkey spoke on the broadcast about her former forward. Advertisement "Angel just has a personality. She just attracts a lot of attention, and she's authentic, and she's a competitor. What is there not to like about Angel Reese when you're pulling for her and she's on your team?" Mulkey said. In particular, Mulkey had praise for Reese's rebounding ability. The 22-year-old forward led the WNBA in rebounds last year, despite missing the final few weeks of the season with a wrist injury. "Angel is aware of where the ball's coming off the rim. When her teammates shoot it, she is always positioning herself to do the offensive rebound," Mulkey said. The Tigers coach added that she had a chance to appreciate this quality even more while watching Reese "as a fan." Advertisement "I never get to see that in a game," Mulkey said. "She did it (her) whole career here, but I never saw that 'cause I was looking at the whole team, but she just has a knack for finding the basketball." Reese transferred to LSU after two seasons at Maryland, with Mulkey pointing out that Reese was injured during her first year with the Terrapins and didn't get a chance to showcase her full ability there. But though Mulkey knew that she was talented, she didn't quite realize that Reese was going to be, in her words, "a walking double-double." Mulkey, who has a reputation as an intense coach, was transparent about how hard she pushed Reese during her time with the Tigers. "I think that when you play this game, you play it hard, and Angel played hard. There were moments where she would get tired and fatigued and I would push her to fight through that, and I'm sure she didn't like me many times, but that's okay, it's not personal," Mulkey said. "I think that if you look at championship teams and coaches who coach championship teams, we all kind of have that type of personality to push them just a little bit further than they think they can go." Advertisement The game also marked a homecoming for Sky rookie Hailey Van Lith, who spent one season at LSU before transferring to TCU this past season. Van Lith got a big cheer from the LSU home crowd, despite her short time with the Tigers. Going forward, Mulkey said that she's excited to see what the second-year players like Reese and Caitlin Clark do after their big rookie seasons. "I think when you're a rookie, you kind of feel your way, and I think the publicity that came with Angel and Caitlin Clark is great. Now, I think as they evolve into leaders for their respective teams, you're gonna just see better basketball," Mulkey said. "So as they become more comfortable, I think you're just gonna see them do some many wonderful things for the league ... They sure did bring a lot to the league just in new fans from the college level because both played at institutions that value women's basketball." The Sky have two more preseason games, both against the Minnesota Lynx, before kicking off the regular season against the Indiana Fever on May 17.
Chicago Tribune
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago Sky's Angel Reese reflects on LSU legacy in Baton Rouge return: ‘This is a women's basketball school'
BATON ROUGE, La. — From the moment Angel Reese left Baton Rouge, the Chicago Sky star was eager to return home. Reese understood the rarity of Friday's preseason game, which pitted the Sky against the Brazilian national team at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, where she starred for two seasons with LSU. Everything was familiar for Reese. The walk into the arena, her preferred seat in the locker room. And the trip was one long exercise in reminiscence, including a stop at Phil's Oyster Bar for the best seafood she had eaten since leaving Louisiana. It's still hard to place a favorite memory from those two years in Baton Rouge. Reese always will be fond of the junior-year highlight when she blocked a shot by an Arkansas player while holding her own shoe — which came dislodged only seconds earlier — in her other hand. But Reese's main source of pride from her time at LSU is less tangible. It's about building one of the strongest cultures in collegiate women's basketball — and winning a national championship along the way. 'They already loved women's basketball because of Kim Mulkey,' Reese said. 'But then we won and it was just like — this is a women's basketball school.' Reese, entering her second season with the Sky, credits Mulkey more than anyone for preparing her for a successful WNBA career. It wasn't always a flowery relationship. Mulkey benched Reese for a handful of games at the start of her senior year. The pair didn't always agree on how Reese should be utilized on the floor. But those two years with Mulkey gave Reese a formative foundation to withstand the rigors of becoming a professional. 'There's not really anything that anybody can say to me as a coaching staff that can break me or tell me anything that I don't know about myself or say to get me going, because I went through Kim Mulkey,' Reese said. 'In the moment, I hated it, I'm not going to lie. I hated it and I dreaded it and I didn't like it. And then when I left, I was really thankful for that moment. Looking back, it didn't make sense in the moment. But now it all makes sense.' No one understands that dynamic better than Sky rookie Hailey Van Lith, who also made her return to LSU for Friday's game for her WNBA preseason debut. Reese and Van Lith spent only one year together at LSU. It was hard. Exhausting. Disappointing. But it also taught both players they were cut from the same cloth, the type of tough material that can withstand the pressure and expectations of playing in Baton Rouge and playing under Mulkey. When the Sky front office was considering Van Lith in the draft, Reese didn't hesitate to vouch for her former — and future — teammate. 'Hailey works her ass off,' Reese told general manager Jeff Pagliocca. 'You want a dog? Go get a dog.' He did. The Sky selected Van Lith with the 11th pick. Reese understands the weight of legacy in LSU women's basketball because of two women who came before her: Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles. In Baton Rouge, it's impossible to escape the pair's shadows. Their jerseys are hanging from the rafters of the stadium. A statue of Augustus — now an assistant coach with the program — stands watch over the arena's northern entrance. Both players redefined standards for their position. Augustus retired a top-10 scorer in WNBA history. Fowles became one of the greatest rebounders in the league's history. Reese grew up going to Minnesota Lynx games with her mother, who is close friends with former WNBA player Taj McWilliams. One of her favorite full-circle moments as a player is a picture of herself at 9 with Augustus. And as the 'double-double queen' of the WNBA, Fowles — who will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in September — became both an idol and a milestone whose records Reese has been chasing since she entered the league. 'I can't forget Sylvia and Seimone,' Reese said. 'They walked so we could run. I've got to give them their flowers. We wouldn't be there without them. … They're winners and they left their legacy in the WNBA. I'm glad to have them in my corner.' And if there are any dreams of joining Augustus and Fowles in the rafters? Well, Reese isn't rushing anything yet. 'It'll come,' Reese said. 'Time comes. I'm in Year 2 so I don't expect it to be right away. It took awhile to get Seimone's statue up there. I know my time will come.' For some players, leaving college is a nostalgic decision. Leaving home is hard. And when a season ends with an unexpected loss — as it did in the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, ending the Tigers' repeat bid — it can be easy to consider running it back for one more year. But for Reese? Not a chance. Sure, fans might opine the 'what if' scenarios had Reese remained for one more year with Aneesah Morrow, Flaujae Johnson and the rest of the LSU roster. But even as she reveled in the homecoming, Reese felt content with the way her time ended at LSU — and with the legacy that will remain long after she left Baton Rouge for Chicago. 'I did exactly what I wanted to do here,' Reese said. 'You got to know when you want to move on and it was time for me to move on. And I wouldn't trade it for the world.'
