Women's Fastbreak On SI

Kim Mulkey Cites Geno Auriemma 'Washed Up' Sentiment Amid Championship Challenge Note

LSU Tigers coach Kim Mulkey cited past narratives about UConn's Geno Auriemma when discussing how hard it is to win a NCAA championship.
Grant Young|
Mar 27, 2025; Spokane, WA, USA; LSU Lady Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey talks with media during an NCAA Tournament practice session at Spokane Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images
Mar 27, 2025; Spokane, WA, USA; LSU Lady Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey talks with media during an NCAA Tournament practice session at Spokane Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

Out of the five women's college basketball coaches with the most NCAA championships in history, three of them — Geno Auriemma (12 national titles with UConn), Kim Mulkey (four national titles with Baylor and LSU), and Dawn Staley (three national titles with South Carolina) — are still active. In fact, these three coaches are have all won in the past three seasons, with the most recent being Auriemma.

The fact that these three coaches have built dynasties strong enough to win multiple national titles speaks volumes, especially given that they all typically face each other at some point during each NCAA postseason.

And during an April 23 interview with Jacques Talk, Kim Mulkey sent a strong message about the narratives that may arise if one of these coaching legends goes a few years without hoisting a championship trophy, despite how difficult doing so is.

"Geno Auriemma just won another one. Five years ago, they said he was washed up and needs to retire. And it was nine years from his last championship until the one this year," Mulkey said. "You don't just spit them out. It is so hard to win championships, Everything has to go perfect. From injuries, to everybody playing good.

"And you just never know if you're gonna win one. And you certainly never know if you're gonna win more than one. So I have been blessed. And what I'm able to do is I keep perspective," she continued.

Now having MiLaysia Fulwiley on her roster, Mulkey has got to like how her roster is looking ahead of her run at securing a fifth NCAA championship.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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