This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Meghan L. Hall.
LSU star Angel Reese is returning to basketball, but the real story is Kim Mulkey, according to Kim Mulkey.
On Wednesday, the women’s basketball coach held media availability to give several updates on the team. “Angel’s back. Kateri is not, and Sa’Myah is done for the year“, Mulkey dumped before sitting down to answer questions. Wow.
To the shock of nobody in the room but Kim Mulkey, there were thoughts about what this meant for the team moving forward, mainly because the college hoops world had been nearly in the dark about Reese’s status. (Even Angel had gone radio silent and had only been posting in coded messages.)
As she responded to those in the room, Mulkey doubled down on how she had addressed the media, saying how much it had bothered her to answer continual questions about Reese.
Kim Mulkey was asked about going for win No. 700 against Virginia Tech tomorrow night.
She launches into what’s been “aggravating” about being asked questions about Angel Reese over the last couple of weeks: (Part 1/2)#LSU pic.twitter.com/CEcTjMM1AP
— Cory Diaz (@ByCoryDiaz) November 29, 2023
But she wasn’t done there. She expressed that the “personal attacks” she has received over the last several days are “not journalism” in her book.
“Maybe I’m too old. Maybe I need to get out. But, you get realness with me … I can’t sugarcoat things. I feel like people want the truth, but I’m also going to do what? I’m going protect my players.”
Part 2#LSU pic.twitter.com/8bypBI65rp
— Cory Diaz (@ByCoryDiaz) November 29, 2023
Here’s the problem: Mulkey told the media earlier in November, “Just write what I tell you.” So, they did.
Now, she’s seemingly frustrated because many covering one of college basketball’s biggest stories dared to do what good journalists do: read the dynamics in a room, pick up on context clues, add deeper thinking and *checks notes* write what she told them to make their stories.
Yet, shifting the blame to others for what’s being written about Reese implies that Mulkey believes she is the victim. She’s the one who is being vilified.
After all, when she has given multiple non-answers on her star basketball player and has a well-documented pattern of NOT protecting her players (hello, Brittney Griner), why would anyone not take her words and actions as doing what’s best for her players?
I, for one, am shocked. Mystified. Bamboozled. Flummoxed. (You get it.)
Kim Mulkey could have spoken up if she wanted the narratives around Angel Reese to be different. She was well within her rights to say whatever she wanted, but no one was entitled to believe her.
Dak Prescott’s MVP case starts now if he wants it
The numbers point to Dak Prescott being an MVP so far through 11 weeks for the Dallas Cowboys, Mike Sykes writes. But strength of schedule is not on his side.
The Cowboys have the best point differential in the NFL at +162 but don’t have a single win over a team that is at .500 or above in the standings today. Dallas has been beating up on bad teams with one of the weakest schedules in the league.
The #Cowboys have played the 2nd-easiest strength of schedule by any team through Week 12 in the past 10 years (.384 opponent win percentage).
Only the 2019 #Bills (.339) played a weaker schedule through Week 12.
Dallas has five straight games against teams .500 or better.
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) November 28, 2023
It’s not their fault — you have to play the teams in front of you. If Prescott wants MVP, the campaign starts now.
Starting tonight, Dallas has the Seahawks (6-5), the Eagles (10-1), the Bills (6-6), the Dolphins (8-3), the Lions (8-3) and the Commanders (4-8). That’s five straight teams with .500 records or better. These are teams fighting for playoff contention.
It’s going to be a huge test for the Cowboys and a big “prove it” moment for Prescott. Let’s see what they’ve got.
It’s time for Josh Giddey to have a seat
The Thunder need to strongly consider sitting Josh Giddey until the NBA concludes its investigation, Prince Grimes wrote in Layup Lines.
For those of you unaware, Josh Giddey has been alleged to have had an inappropriate relationship with a minor. We don’t know what’s true and what isn’t just yet, but this is serious enough for Giddey to be under investigation by the NBA and the Newport Beach, California police department.
Meanwhile, Prince writes, Giddey has been playing NBA basketball. And it’s been as awkward as you’d expect.
“It’s been an uncomfortable situation for everyone watching it unfold, from the media toeing a line of assigning guilt and letting the legal process play out to fans watching Giddey play, knowing what’s been alleged. In his first home game after the allegations, he received a loud ovation from the Thunder crowd. During his first road game, Minnesota Timberwolves fans booed him. The Thunder lost both games.
The NBA is obviously in a tough spot, because it’s hard to discipline a player over mere allegations. But for a league with an already shoddy reputation for its mishandling of domestic violence incidents involving Miles Bridges and Kevin Porter Jr., the NBA needs to step up at some point to protect everyone involved, including the young women and girls in its audience.”
It’s not an easy choice. You can’t condemn anyone based on hearsay and rumors alone. But it’s easy to see what this is devolving into. It’s up to the Thunder to do something about it.
Quick hits: More on Aaron Rodgers’ fake comeback attempt … The NFL’s Church of Regret … and more
— The Jets have opened a 21-day practice window for Aaron Rodgers’ return. That doesn’t mean he’s coming back. Andrew Joseph explains.
— Christian D’Andrea has your sermon ready in the NFL’s Church of Regret. What could your favorite team have done better? Plenty.
— Looks like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are about to link, folks. What a time. Charles Curtis has more.
— Jayden Daniels deserves the Heisman but Conference Championship weekend is going to be a problem for him. Blake Schuster has more.
— Bijan Robinson, man. The dude is cold. That’s all. Read Cory Woodruff here.
— Sean Payton took cues from the Lions to help turn the Broncos season around. Robert Zeglinski has more.
Thanks so much for reading, folks! We appreciate you giving us a few minutes of your time. Have a great rest of your day. We’ll chat again tomorrow. Peace.
