When $18 million worth Geno Auriemma hilariously reacted to trying Kim Mulkey-like “sparkling” outfits

At the beginning of June this year, UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma, signed a five-year, $18.7 million contract extension. The new deal keeps Auriemma at the helm through April 2029. His base salary of $400,000 per year is bolstered by additional compensation of $2.94 million for media duties, consulting, and public appearances.

The timing of this contract aligns with a surge in the popularity of NCAA women’s basketball. In 2024, the sport achieved record-breaking viewership after years of struggling to capture a broad audience.

Geno Auriemma, with a net worth estimated at $18 million (as per Celebrity Net Worth), sat alongside LSU’s Kim Mulkey, reflected on this growth during an MSNBC interview hosted by Stephanie Ruhle at the Aspen Ideas Festival in June, 2024.

In the interview, Mulkey was asked about the story behind her sparkly outfit choices. The coach explained the whole story about her outfit choice. However, after she finished, the host asked if Auriemma considered wearing sparkly outfits, to which he humorously responded:

“Not outwardly. I’m not there yet.” (starting at- 51:00)

Kim Mulkey has become as well-known for her wardrobe choices as for her coaching prowess. In the interview, she revealed how her flashy attire became part of her identity. Mulkey explained:

“I’ve always liked to dress nice.”

The journey to her glittering outfits began when her assistant, Jennifer, brought sparkly clothing from a Baton Rouge boutique. Initially hesitant, Mulkey recalled:

“I said, no, no, no. And I just kept being... pressured.”

Eventually, she agreed to wear a sparkly jacket for one game, and the response was overwhelming. She joked:

“We have more season ticket holders at LSU that don’t know a damn about basketball. They come to see what Mulkey’s wearing. We took their money and sold them season tickets, and their kids run around there.”

Now, her vibrant wardrobe has become a talking point, even attracting new season ticket holders to LSU games.

Geno Auriemma and Kim Mulkey challenges on the court

Despite LSU’s impressive 15-0 start, Mulkey has expressed dissatisfaction with defensive lapses and the ongoing search for a dependable point guard. In a 91-73 victory over Illinois-Chicago, Mulkey criticized her team’s defensive effort, highlighting that such issues should not persist 14 games into the season.

A similar pattern emerged against UAlbany, where the Great Danes led at halftime, however, LSU pulled their victory with an 83-61.

Meanwhile, Auriemma's UConn faced its challenges before the holiday break. The Huskies suffered a narrow 72-70 loss to USC. However, the seventh-ranked Huskies secured an impressive 67-41 victory over Providence on Sunday, improving their season record to 11-2.