Kim Mulkey Under Fire for Leading LSU Team Off the Court Before National Anthem in Tournament Game Against Iowa

LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey was forced to address a wave of backlash her team faced for leaving the court during the national anthem before Monday’s game against Iowa.

Before the Elite Eight showdown between the two teams, several accounts on Twitter posted clips of Iowa’s team standing on the court for the anthem. LSU, on the other hand, was not present and apparently headed back into the locker room before it.

Many were quick to label the team “woke” under the assumption that the Tigers were making some kind of political statement. Some even called them terrorists and claimed the players hated America.

The reality of the situation was actually much less controversial. Reporter Chessa Bouche — who’s covered the team for three years — noted that the Tigers are never on the court during the anthem. In fact, the football team also goes to the locker room during its season.

After the 94-87 loss to Iowa, a visibly confused Mulkey explained that it’s simply part of her team’s routine to leave the floor at a specific time. They just happened to miss the anthem.

“Honestly, I don’t even know when the anthem was played,” she said. “We kinda have a routine where we are on the floor and then they come off at the 12-minute mark. I don’t know, we come in and we do our pre-game stuff. I’m sorry. Listen, that’s nothing intentionally done.”

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