"It was kind of a strange Zoom": Kim Mulkey shares LSU players' reaction to hiring Seimone Augustus for 2024 season

LSU coach Kim Mulkey shared that her players were strangely quiet as they were told about Seimone Augustus joining the program. Mulkey guessed that players wanted to see Seimone in person even though some showed enthusiasm by smiling and clapping.

Kim Mulkey announced last month that Augustus will join LSU, where she played from 2002 to 2006, as an assistant coach. Mulkey shared her observations of the players reacting to the news of the new assistant coach during a press conference (per On3).

“The players learned through a zoom call the night before it was announced. And it was kind of a strange zoom. They were quiet and I don’t know if they were quiet because I don’t do Zoom calls and they were thinking ‘How is Coach doing this, who’s doing this for her?'", Mulkey said.

"Or if they were in awe. Some of them clapped and some of them smiled, but it was just — it was really quiet and I thought that was not so typical of my team, so maybe they’re just waiting to see her in person.”

Seimone Augustus averaged 19.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.4 steals during her four-year college career. She led LSU to three Final Four appearances.

In the WNBA, Augustus appeared in 391 games from 2006 to 2020. She averaged 15.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in her WNBA career while playing for the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks.

Augustus won four league titles for the Minnesota Lynx and three Olympic gold medals for the Team USA. She was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in April. In August this year, she will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Flaujae Johnson shared excitement over Seimone Augustus' addition

Kim Mulkey found the reaction of the players strange over Mulkey joining the program, whom she called a legendary coach. But Flauj'ae Johnson was all praise for the incoming coach. Flau'je Johnson said how excited and happy she was in an interview with Fox 5 Atlanta:

"And just having a pro Hall of Famer in your corner when you need her any time for any question like workouts or whatever. It is kind of a cheat code.I am grateful, I am excited, I am so happy that I get to be here in this moment."

Seimone Augustus was offered a coaching role by Mulkey upon her retirement from the WNBA in 2020 but she declined. She worked with Los Angeles Sparks and Athletes Unlimited instead and is now back in the program where her statue is erected in the arena.