Did Kim Mulkey play in the WNBA? Exploring the LSU head coach's playing career

Being one of the more recognizable figures in women's basketball, LSU Lady Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey's professional career will always come under scrutiny from curious minds. The four-time NCAA women's hoops champion coach did play in her younger years, but was she good enough to make it to the pros?

Specifically, the question here asks whether she was able to play in the WNBA. Good thing, though, as there's a lot to unpack here, so let's begin.

Did Kim Mulkey play in the WNBA?

No, she did not, and there was one big reason for that. Back in Mulkey's playing days, the WNBA as it is known today didn't exist. There was one league, called the WBL (Women's Basketball League) or alternately, the Women's Professional Basketball League, that was indeed in operation at the time.

The league is often regarded as the forerunner to the modern WNBA (via WNBA.com). Established in 1978 and playing until 1981, the WBL was the first-ever women's hoops league in the United States.

However, Mulkey was never able to play for any team there as it was in operation while she was still in college. By this time, the NCAA or the AIAW didn't even have a modern "one-and-done" rule for female basketball players.

After the WBL, there was the American Basketball League (ABL) which ran from 1996 to 1998, but the timing was once again off, as Mulkey was already deep into her coaching career by that time.

Kim Mulkey's playing career

After playing her years out with Louisiana Tech, Mulkey joined the Tech as a member of the coaching staff. The extent of her playing career in college was her stint as a member of the US national women's basketball team in 1983.

She competed in a total of four tournaments: the Pan-American Championships, World Championships, the William Jones Cup, and the 1984 Summer Olympics in LA.

Mulkey and her squad won three tournaments out of four, only losing the World Championships to the Soviet Union by a single point and settling for the silver medal.

Would she have been able to play in the WNBA?

Kim Mulkey was certainly a great player in college. In fact, she was the first-ever player to win the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, which is given to the best senior basketball players under 5-foot-6, who excelled on the court despite their height.

At 5-foot-4, Mulkey was one of the best players in the nation, and she certainly helped contribute to her two college national titles--one in the NCAA and one in the AIAW.

Her skillset could definitely have transferred to the WNBA if it existed back then and she chose to go pro. However, her height would be a major factor, as the first five picks ever drafted into the WNBA in 1997 were all 5-foot-9 or taller. Although some might not like it, height does help in basketball.

Despite missing out on a pro playing career, it's safe to say the LSU head coach doesn't regret a thing anymore.