“We’re the Good Villains”: Angel Reese Discloses Kim Mulkey’s ‘Beatles’ Comparison for LSU Tigers

The coach of the Louisiana State University women’s basketball team Kim Mulkey was under a lot of scrutiny before the Sweet 16 clash against UCLA. Right after it was reported that the Washington Post was going to release a “big” story about Kim, the latter threatened to sue the paper for writing a “hit piece” with her as the topic of interest. Despite all the controversies going on in the LSU camp, the Tigers managed to handle business and defeated the Bruins 78-69 to clinch a spot in the Elite Eight of the NCAA March Madness. Following the contest, Angel Reese thought it was accurate to compare her team to the Beatles.

The Washington Post’s Kent Babb wrote a story on Kim Mulkey’s profile. Shedding light on her career, the story highlighted how Mulkey was a strong-minded personality responsible for leaving “the basketball community, and her own players, divided”, per CNN. It also highlighted Mulkey’s treatment of gay players. While the story didn’t talk about any new scandal or topic, the 61-year-old coach threatened to sue the publication for running a false story about her.

Despite the drama ongoing throughout the week, Kim Mulkey’s girls were successful in winning their Sweet 16 battle. Backed by a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double by Reese and a 24-point, 12-rebound double-double by Flau’jae Johnson, per ESPN, the Tigers grabbed a 9-point win.

Following the win, Reese had an iconic interview. Apart from revealing how coach Mulkey would compare her team to the Beatles, the 2024 WNBA top prospect also explained how this particular team was special and “changing the game”.

“We’re the good villains. I was talking to Kim about that. Everybody wants to beat LSU, everybody wants to be LSU, everybody wants to play against LSU. You gotta realize we’re not any regular basketball team. Coach talks about it all the time, like she calls us the Beatles. People will run after our bus, people are coming at games. You’re seeing sellouts, you’re seeing people buying jerseys, you’re seeing more sellouts than the men. Like, we’re impacting the game so much.

All of us are just super competitive and want to win and want to do whatever it takes to win. We’re just changing the game,” Angel Reese said.

Reese isn’t wrong. Ever since the LSU Tigers won the 2023 National Championship, the team has acquired a significant amount of fans. Further, Reese and co. are also partly responsible for popularizing women’s college basketball.

Angel Reese and her team will now face the Caitlin Clark-led Iowa Hawkeyes

Following their respective wins, the LSU Tigers and the Iowa Hawkeyes will face each other in the Elite Eight tomorrow. This matchup, considering their rivalry, has been deemed the most-anticipated contest even before the tournament kicked off.

The rivalry between the Tigers and the Hawkeyes began in 2023 when the two programs met each other in the National Championship game. Apart from the game being very chirpy, the star players of both sides – Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark – were constantly bickering.

While the Tigers won the contest 102-85, Clark and co. are expected to win the rematch of the 2023 NCAA finals. However, with both teams being in great form, fans can expect an entertaining bout between two of the biggest names in college basketball history.