Kim Mulkey-Washington Post beef: What happened so far, explained

A battle between Kim Mulkey and The Washington Post is set to unfold. Following the NCAA Tournament second-round game against Middle Tennessee, the LSU coach addressed an upcoming article by the Jeff Bezos-owned publication which she believes is aimed to defame her.

Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde tweeted that The Washington Post plans to publish the article in the coming week. In light of this, Mulkey made it known that she's ready to go into a legal battle with the publication if there is false information in the article.

"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."

Who is The Washington Post reporter working on the Kim Mulkey piece?

The Washington Post reporter working on the Kim Mulkey article is Kent Babb, a national award-winning sports feature writer and book author. He had written an article about LSU football coach Brian Kelly for the Post. Mulkey expressed her dissatisfaction with that story and, consequently, declined to participate in an interview with him.

According to Mulkey, Babb has been working on the piece for the past two years. During this time, the reporter has reached out to numerous former coaches and players for their perspectives and insights.

The LSU coach accused Babb of attempting to deceive her former assistant coaches by creating the false impression that she had consented to be interviewed, thereby coaxing them into speaking with him.

“When my former coaches spoke to him and found out that I wasn’t talking with the reporter, they were just distraught, and they felt completely misled,” Mulkey said.

Also, despite his reputation, Mulkey claimed that Babb, who graduated from South Carolina, will not be unbiased in his reporting. The top-ranked Gamecocks are one of LSU's chief rivals in the Southeastern Conference and nationally.

Kent Babb’s contact with LSU and the deadline

Finishing up the piece on Kim Mulkey, Kent Babb reportedly reached out to LSU last week for comment. Mulkey said that the writer sent the university more than a dozen questions on Tuesday, setting a deadline for responses on Thursday, just before the scheduled tipoff.

“After two years of trying to get me to sit with him for an interview, he contacted LSU on Tuesday as we were getting ready for the first-round game of this tournament with more than a dozen questions, demanding a response by Thursday, right before we’re scheduled to tip off," Mulkey said. "Are you kidding me?”

It remains unknown whether or not LSU gave any response after the deadline. The Washington Post and Kent Babb have refused to address the situation despite many publications reaching out to them.