What Kim Mulkey said about The Washington Post after LSU women's basketball win over MTSU

BATON ROUGE — After LSU women's basketball's NCAA Tournament second-round win over Middle Tennessee on Sunday afternoon, Kim Mulkey reiterated what she told reporters the day before the game.

An as-yet-unpublished article from The Washington Post about Mulkey wasn't going to be a distraction for the No. 3 Tigers.

"Listen, man, we're not going to let one sleazy reporter distract us from what we're trying to do," Mulkey said Sunday after her team's 83-56 victory.

During No. 3 LSU's opening March Madness game against No. 14 Rice on Friday, a rumor that a story about Mulkey from The Post was in the works and that LSU and/or Mulkey were aware of the piece and that "wagons (were) being circled."

Why Kim Mulkey is mad at The Washington Post

The day after the Tigers defeated Rice 70-60, Mulkey opened her press conference with a prepared statement that ran nearly four minutes long.

She launched into the news organization's reporting "tactics," labeling its approach as "sleazy" as it "misled" some of her former coaches with messages requesting to speak with them for a story it said it was working on with Mulkey, as well as reaching out to "disgruntled former players to get negative quotes to include in their story," Mulkey alleged.

An athletic department source confirmed to The Daily Advertiser that The Post reached out to Mulkey two years ago, requesting a sitdown interview with her. Mulkey said Saturday she was unwilling to meet with The Post as she "didn't appreciate the hit job (the Post writer) 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's story on Kim Mulkey about?

What The Washington Post is rumored to be reporting in its as-yet-unpublished story on Mulkey is unclear.

The news organization declined comment to the USA Today Sports Network on Saturday.

Mulkey alleged the outlet has spoken to former coaches and players in an attempt to write a "one-sided, embellished version of things."

"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."

What Kim Mulkey said about The Washington Post following Middle Tennessee win

After the Middle Tennessee game Sunday, Mulkey said her players weren't aware of the situation before her press conference Saturday. The issue, she said, hasn't been a distraction for LSU as it's making its way through the NCAA Tournament.

"No. Listen, man, we're not going to let one sleazy reporter distract us from what we're trying to do. Absolutely not. My kids didn't even know I said that yesterday. That team is not involved in this," Mulkey said.

"They were in shock when they saw all that on the internet. I don't take that stuff to my team."

Will Kim Mulkey sue The Washington Post?

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Mulkey told reporters Saturday that she has lawyered up and that she would sue The Washington Pots if it writes "a false story about me."

"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."

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 atbdiaz@gannett.com.