"Pat Summit just grabbed me one night": Kim Mulkey says Tennessee Legend helped her be more compassionate with mothers

Kim Mulkey's LSU Tigers entered their highly anticipated matchup against South Carolina as one of the last two undefeated teams in the nation, alongside No. 1 UCLA. The showdown with Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks was set to be a defining moment in the season, but LSU ultimately fell short, suffering a 66-56 defeat. The loss marked the Tigers’ fifth consecutive setback against South Carolina under Mulkey’s leadership.

However, off the court, Mulkey made an appearance on 104.5 ESPN’s Watch Live Channel, driven by Bayou Ford. During her time on Off The Bench with hosts T-Bob Hebert and Jacob Hester, she reflected on the loss and looked ahead to LSU’s next matchup against Oklahoma. She also took a moment to share a personal story about how legendary Tennessee coach Pat Summitt influenced her perspective on balancing coaching and motherhood. She said:

"I just remember being young, an assistant at Louisiana Tech, having my first, being pregnant with my first, and Pat Summitt just grabbed me one night before we played them, and she just said. Don’t you get out of coaching."

(ET: 4:12-5:17)

Mulkey also recalled:

"You can be a mother and you can do this. You've got to have a little help. But I just remembered that, and I'm thinking, you know, I'm at the tail end of my career. I'm not a spring chicken anymore and I thought maybe I'll just give them a gift and encourage them to keep coaching."

Meanwhile, on the court, under Mulkey’s tenure, LSU has already claimed a national championship, while South Carolina captured two during that same period.

Kim Mulkey's LSU Tigers had a season-altering defeat

The loss to South Carolina dropped LSU to 20-1 on the season, with a 5-1 record in conference play. However, it wasn’t just the Tigers’ loss that had people talking, it was Mulkey’s sideline behavior.

Throughout the game, she was frequently seen stepping onto the court, much to the frustration of fans. Her actions sparked outrage on social media, with many questioning why officials didn’t penalize her for encroaching onto the playing area.

Fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their frustration. Mulkey’s presence on the court didn’t ultimately affect the outcome, as South Carolina dominated with a suffocating defensive approach that neutralized LSU’s offensive threats.