"No rest for the weary": Kim Mulkey gets candid about "broken" transfer portal and its impact on LSU

LSU coach Kim Mulkey is already on the grind to improve her roster for next season, with little time to reflect on her team's Elite Eight loss to UCLA on Sunday. Mulkey pointed out that while the team has not yet returned to Baton Rouge, she is already at work in the transfer portal.

On Tuesday, Mulkey joined ESPN 104.5 FM, where she got candid about the current state of college basketball in a phone interview with hosts T-Bob Hebert and Jacob Hester.

"Well, we're tired, but no rest for the weary. We don't even have time to think about the last game and the season because we're in the transfer portal," Mulkey said (0:27 onwards). "It's the world we live in. There's just something wrong with this picture."

The four-time national champion coach continued by lamenting the lack of time she had to reflect on the previous game due to the transfer portal cycle, saying she was on the phone with portal kids while her team was still in the air.

"Years ago, you worried about transfers — 'Was it me? Did they not like you?' Now, they don't get in the portal because they don't like you or they're not playing; it's just, 'Hey, got to go try to get some more money, some better NIL deals,' or what? It's just broken, guys," she added.

The NCAA transfer portal opened on Mar. 24, even before March Madness was over, right in the middle of the second round.

Kim Mulkey and LSU face major loss as Sa'Myah Smith enters transfer portal

As Kim Mulkey navigates the transfer portal to try and better her roster for next season, she is also dealing with players from her own team entering the portal.

Following an exit in the Elite Eight, which concluded LSU's season, red-shirt sophomore Sa'Myah Smith intends to enter the transfer portal, as reported by On3 Sports' Talia Goodman.

Smith was a crucial piece for the Tigers in the NCAA Tournament, as she recorded two double-doubles in four games, guiding LSU to an Elite Eight appearance. The 6-foot-2 forward from Texas averaged 6.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game this season.

Kim Mulkey's team will look different heading into next season, as it will be without top scorer Aneesah Morrow, who has exhausted eligibility. Another key player for the Tigers, Flau'jae Johnson, will be eligible to enter the WNBA draft this year.