BATON ROUGE — Kim Mulkey always commands attention with her bubbly, rollicking, or sometimes shiny, game day outfits.
With LSU women’s basketball hosting the NCAA tournament, a season that encompasses everything, and the fact that Friday was St. Patrick’s Day, the circumstances and venue presented a perfect opportunity for Mulkey and her team, a to make a statement.
March 17, 2023; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Lady Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey reacts to a second-half foul against the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
The Tigers’ coach wore an all-white blouse and pants combo with what appeared to be rose gold heels. Over the white button-down shirt, Mulkey wore a white sweater vest that read “Kiss Me I’m A Queen,” vividly stitched in two tones of green and gold tinsel.
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A pair of large lips embellished with green sequins at the back completed the ensemble.
It was a fitting Gameday wardrobe for statement No. 3 LSU (29-2), made in their shellac by No. 14 Hawaii, 73-50. And the only statement to the words on the vest was nothing more than a shout-out to her outfitter, Queen of Sparkles, a boutique owned by LSU grad Jamie Glas. Mulkey has worn her clothes since she took over the LSU women’s basketball program.
“It says, ‘Kiss me, I’m a queen.’ These are the people who give me my clothes, Queen of Sparkles. It’s not about me being a queen. It’s lips on the back, right? Green.
“Tomorrow is the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Baton Rouge. When you’re here with nothing to do, they say it’s wonderful. Last year there was a conflict with us in the NCAA playoffs. That’s the story behind the shirt. I’m not a queen, it’s a tribute to Sparkles.”
Maybe it was Angel Reese who deserved the crown. The sophomore star forward, better known as “Bayou Barbie,” became the first SEC player this century to have a 30+ point and 15 rebound performance in a March Madness game.
The story goes on
Or maybe it was freshman Flau’jae Johnson who had the all-around queen-like showing with 10 points, six rebounds, five assists, three blocks and three steals. And that on this stage as a newcomer.
The words on Mulkey’s sweater vest made no statement against Hawaii. It was their players who did the talking.
Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers and Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his coverage of Tigers and Cajuns on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Have questions about LSU/UL Athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on the Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU Coach Kim Mulkey: “Kiss Me I’m a Queen” Outfit, No Statement
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