Kim Mulkey: Personalities at LSU, Iowa sparking growth of women’s sports

It’s no secret that women’s college basketball has been on the rise, with attention and fanfare surrounding the sport at a seemingly unprecedented level.

LSU head basketball coach Kim Mulkey has dedicated her life to the game, in the midst of her 24th season as a collegiate head coach following her successful career as a player. And following the Tigers’ most recent game against Arkansas, she was asked about how she’s seen the sport evolve over the years in front of her eyes throughout her interminable career.

“It’s funny you ask that question, I just had somebody give me this. Lady Techsters where I played just had their 50th anniversary,” Mulkey said holding up a 50th anniversary sticker from her alma mater Louisiana Tech. “I didn’t play in a lot of empty gyms, I haven’t been in a lot of empty gyms, I’ve been the recipient of a lot of women that came before me and that’s why history really really means a lot to me.”

Mulkey was an All-American point guard at Louisiana Tech where she helped lead the program to two national titles, also securing three gold medals for Team USA during her playing career. She reached tremendous heights as a player, and has since done her part in making sure her players reach the same heights in a women’s college basketball landscape that’s seen a lot of changes since her playing days.

“I know the stories I’ve heard from those who came before me and I’ve been blessed to learn from the best, respect this game, and play it and coach it the right way,” Mulkey explained. “And all I ever want is players to have that feeling of what it feels like to win a championship, to win a game you’re not supposed to win, to run out that tunnel and look around and go wow, to leave a game and you can’t get to your car without security.”

Throughout her career Mulkey has made due on her goals, winning four national championships between her time spent as the head coach at Baylor and LSU. The Hall of Famer currently boasts an impressive 710–114 record as a head coach, helping lead many players to careers that they’ll surely look back upon fondly. But in today’s game, her players have now reached unprecedented heights in regards to popularity and national notoriety.

“What is different? The game has grown, but there’s something about Iowa and LSU from that national championship that has continued. I was watching Iowa and Ohio State today and the graphic on the telecast is the same graphic we have here. When they go on the road they break records in attendance, we’re doing that,” Mulkey explained.

The 2023 Women’s Basketball National Championship will likely go down as a watershed moment in the the sport, with LSU and Iowa’s matchup making history as the most-watched women’s national championship averaging roughly 9.9 million viewers.

Star players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese grabbed headlines and drew the nation’s attention following the game, with the NCAA’s recent name, image, and likeness rules allowing those players and other female athletes to capitalize on their success and continue building their brands and platforms.

“So what is it?” Mulkey asked. “Because we’re not the only two teams through the history of the game that have been good and dominated. And it has to be the personalities, it has to be social media, it has to be more media attention, it has to be more television, it has to be all those things that those that came before us did not have.”

LSU and Iowa’s women’s basketball programs have drawn record crowds not just at home, but on the road as well so far this season with both teams creating national intrigue beyond their own fanbases.

Iowa currently tops all programs with an accumulative attendance of 134,982, with LSU right behind the Hawkeyes at 132,706 and South Carolina sitting at 125,221. All numbers that would rank within the top 10 of total attendance in last year’s women’s basketball season with 10 games remaining in the 2023-2024 regular season.

Mulkey and many others have recognized and played a significant role in the growth of women’s college basketball, with the sport’s most recent spike in popularity potentially marking the beginning of a new standard across all of women’s collegiate athletics.