When Kim Mulkey explained how Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese “brought attention” to women’s basketball

After their college careers ended, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were the top picks coming out of the class of 2024. Their star rivalry has made its way to the WNBA since, with Clark taking home the 2024 Rookie of the Year Award while Reese ramps up for a stronger second-year campaign.

Their college rivalry sparked the interest of many fans and has even gotten more spectators on board the revolution of women's basketball. ESPN reported that the 2024 Elite Eight game between Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes and Angel Reese's LSU Tigers drew in the second-most viewers for any college game since 2012, with 12.3 million watching.

In an interview with NBC News's Stephanie Ruhle back in June, LSU coach Kim Mulkey explained how much of an impact her stalwart and Iowa's most prolific scorer brought to the growth of the women's game.

"I think fans are going to always follow their players. She (Caitlin) played in two national championship games and brought attention to our game. I think Angel Reese brought attention to our game. It's a good thing, I don't think there's anything bad," she shared. (5:05)

"I think those two players in particular know they're not the best players in the WNBA right now. But, they're gonna be Hall of Famers someday. So, whatever you can bring to the table as a rookie, bring it. I think they've brought a lot of attention," Mulkey later added.

Now that their rookie seasons are in the books, there's definitely a lot more in store for them as they prepare for their second stints with the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky, respectively, come June 2025.

Mulkey is busy developing future sensations in her own right, with standouts such as Flau'jae Johnson and Annesah Morrow leading the way for the LSU Tigers.

Kim Mulkey says college coaches don't care about social media

As the discussion turned towards the impact social media has had on college players building their own brand, Mulkey asserted that mentors like her and UConn tactician Geno Auriemma do not care for the digital age. She added that they are solely focused on helping their athletes with their careers and livelihoods.

"You'll be amazed at how strong they (the players) are mentally, just their prepartion in basketball makes them tough. They're human. Here's the difference, probably Geno and I, we don't give a rip about social media. We don't have it, don't read it, don't care. We're protected," she expressed. (Timestamp: 9:30)

This mentality can be seen in the way players like Reese operate, for they still perform week in and week out with all the noise that comes their way off the court.