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LSU women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey unspooled an epic rant against the Washington Post, saying that the publication was about to publish a "hit piece" and how she was going to tackle the situation.
That, in turn, generated plenty of reaction on X.
"Four players have told me that the Washington Post has contacted them and offered to let them be anonymous in a story if they'll say negative things about me," Mulkey said Saturday during a news conference before her team's second-round matchup against Middle Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament.
"The Washington Post has called former disgruntled players to get negative quotes to include in their story. They're ignoring the 40-plus years of positive stories that people, or they've heard from people, about me. But 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 clip machine. 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. I am fed up.
"And I'm not gonna let the Washington Post attack this university, this awesome team of young women I have, or me, without a fight."
Mulkey said she was prepared to take legal action.
"I have hired the best defamation law firm in the country, and I will sue the Washington Post if they publish a false story about me. Not many people are in the position to hold these journalists accountable, but I am. And I'll do it."
Her defensive demeanor had fans speculating about the validity of the forthcoming article. But even though the story hasn't been published, that didn't stop people on X from emerging with some hilarious memes about the situation.
The commentary even dragged legendary "Saturday Night Live" comedian Amy Poehler into the mix. Fans dreamed about Poehler making a skit about the entire situation to parody Kim Mulkey.
Even baseball sensation Shohei Ohtani wasn't safe from the Twitterverse's attack. As reports of a media session from the new Los Angeles Dodgers superstar made the rounds, fans made hilarious references to the Washington Post article.
One fan simply iterating the facts in a different light became one of the funniest reactions on the internet.
Some fans felt that the move could have made the situation worse for the 12-time Big Ten Coach of the Year. Her reaction may have led even more eyeballs to follow the Washington Post trail.
Kim Mulkey explains the timeline of the article
LSU coach Kim Mulkey said the Washington Post reporter contacted her and the information that was about to be published:
"This reporter has been working on a story about me for two years. After two years of trying to get me to sit with him for an interview, he contacts 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.
"Are you kidding me? This was a ridiculous deadline that LSU and I could not possibly meet. The reporter knew it. It was just an attempt to prevent me from commenting and an attempt to distract us from this tournament. It ain't gonna work, buddy.
"Unfortunately, this is part of a pattern that goes back years. I told this reporter two years ago that I did not appreciate the hit job he wrote on (LSU football coach) Brian Kelly, and that's why I wasn't going to do an interview with him."
"After that, the reporter called two former college coaches of mine and left multiple messages that he was with me in Baton Rouge to get them to call him back. Tried to trick these coaches into believing that I was working with the Washington Post on a story. When my former coaches spoke to him and found out that I wasn't talking with a reporter, they were just distraught."
The situation is a murky one. When the Washington Post article drops, the issue will become clearer.
Do you think Kim Mulkey or the reporter is right? Let us know in the comments below.
