LSU coach Kim Mulkey renews her attack on ‘sleazy’ reporter after threatening to SUE the Washington Post… but insists the feud is not a distraction after Tigers survive a scare at March Madness

After surviving an early scare from Middle Tennessee State, LSU Tigers coach Kim Mulkey continued to push back on a yet-to-be-released Washington Post report on her and her program.

The story has not yet been released, but Mulkey has already called it a “hatchet job” and threatened to sue the reporter and/or the newspaper if it is published.

That led to USA Today’s Cory Diaz asking Mulkey if her team was distracted in any way by the way the coach was speaking — or by the upcoming story.

“No, listen man, we’re not going to let some dirty reporter distract us from what we’re trying to do. Absolutely not.

“My kids didn’t even know I said that yesterday. That team is not involved in this.

On Saturday, Mulkey threatened to sue the Washington Post over an upcoming “false” story

‘They were shocked when they saw all that on the internet. I don’t take that stuff to my team.’

On Saturday, Mulkey threatened to sue the Washington Post over its plans to spread what she called a “false” story.

“I am fed up and I will not let the Washington Post attack this university, this amazing team of young women that I have, or me without a fight,” Mulkey said.

“I have hired the best defamation law firm in the country and I will sue the Washington Post if they publish a false story about me.”

That’s coming from a Post reporter — who, according to Mulkey, has been trying to “put together a hit piece” about her for two years.

Mulkey, who won a national title with LSU last year, says she and the school were contacted by the said reporter with a “dozen questions” on Tuesday before their first-round game against Rice and “demanded an answer on Thursday” before tip-off . .

‘Are you joking? This was a ridiculous deadline that LSU and I could not possibly meet and the reporter knew it,” Mulkey said in her speech. ‘It was just an attempt to stop me from commentating and an attempt to distract us from this tournament. It’s not gonna work, buddy.’

She further claimed that The Post contacted former coaches and “disgruntled” players to get “negative statements” about her.

Angel Reese (R) and the Tigers bounced back from a bad first half to advance to the Sweet 16

In Sunday’s game, the Tigers lost at halftime to the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee State, shooting 39 percent from the field.

But Angel Reese, Flau’jae Johnson and the rest of the Tigers soldiered on in the second half, shooting a much better 48 percent from the floor to win 83-56.

“At halftime my stomach was gurgling,” Johnson told reporters after the game. ‘I didn’t want to go home. I have nothing to do until summer!’

Reese remembered Mulkey saying “I need you” midway through the game and reflected on her coach’s words. ‘I just didn’t want to let my team down. I didn’t want this to be my last match. I didn’t have a great night, but I did what was necessary.’

Next, LSU will face the winner of UCLA and Creighton.