Kim Mulkey wants there to be backlash to the backlash.
The Tigers coach has gotten raked over the coals by various critics, ranging from Shannon Sharpe to USA Today, after the way she responded to the LSU-South Carolina dustup in the SEC championship game on Sunday.
She sounded off on the criticism as “a little bit sexist,” alleging that the press has overreacted to the scrap, in which South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso shoved LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson to the ground, relative to how it would be covered in men’s basketball.
“When you have two tough teams that play so hard, that are so good, and compete — those kinds of things happen,” Mulkey said.
“And it’s so out of control with the media right now. You don’t get this much attention when men do it. So why do you keep writing about the women? It really comes across as a little bit sexist.”
Mulkey thought the severity of the fight had been overblown.
“I’ve seen every men’s game that has something like that and it’s no big deal. We mention it and then we move on,” Mulkey continued.
“Nobody got in a fight. There were no punches thrown. There was nobody choked. It was a shoving match. Whoop-dee-doo!”
However, there was an additional element to the fight beyond just the players on LSU and South Carolina.
Johnson’s brother, Trayron Milton, was arrested and charged with assault and battery and disorderly conduct after he allegedly pushed down a female SEC employee while jumping on the court.
Mulkey said after the game that she wished Cardoso had shoved somebody her own size.
“It’s ugly, it’s not good, no one wants to be a part of that,” Mulkey said. “But I’ll tell you this, I wish [Cardoso] would’ve pushed Angel Reese. If you’re 6-8, don’t push somebody that little. That was uncalled for in my opinion. Let those two girls who were jawing, let them go at it.”