Controversies just don’t seem to stop revolving around Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers. Their most recent chapter unfolded last week in the Tigers’ 78-70 comeback win over Ole Miss when freshman Grace Knox was called for a hard foul on Cotie McMahon. Quite naturally, Knox faced the repercussions, receiving a foul and a technical for mocking McMahon as she collapsed on the floor after the foul.

The 6’2 forward faced the heat of her head coach, who didn’t hesitate to sub her out for the entire game. Mulkey took a step further and took Knox out of the rotation in the subsequent game against Missouri. While the LSU head coach has always maintained a neutral stance publicly in this regard since that foul, she later addressed the play publicly and referenced past LSU players who played with similar fire.

“She by no means tried to hurt the young lady,” Mulkey said while speaking in a recent episode of the Off the Bench podcast. “I thought it was a good hard foul. If you look at it, she hits all ball hard. The part that made me take her out was the taunting afterwards.”

The LSU head coach hasn’t shied away from giving her team an aggressive outlook over the years. She has set an example herself while standing up to the officials at times. As a result, Mulkey isn’t taking anything away from Knox’s fiery attitude on the court and even puts LSU veterans like Reese in the same bracket as Knox due to their aggressive traits. But for her, it was the six points that came from the subsequent plays that pricked the LSU head coach even more.

“I told Grace you’ll have to keep a cool head in a hot game,” Mulkey added. “And I don’t ever want you to lose your fire. That’s what makes you who you are. I coach with fire, but you have to control it, especially on the road, and especially when you’re behind, because that particular play cost us six points. So, it’s a teaching moment, but Grace is just a joy to coach. I have coached many who have fire in their belly: Angel Reese, Alexis Morris, and the list goes on.”

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Kim Mulkey’s Grace Knox-Angel Reese comparisons sit quite well, though. The former LSU forward also used to keep her aggression in her sleeves. We’ve seen it quite well during the 2023 NCAA Championship game, when Reese didn’t hesitate to show Caitlin Clark a “You can’t see me” gesture, which created an uproar in the NCAAW community and questioned the latter’s sportsmanship.

Reese’s aggressive nature also carried over to the WNBA, where she received 8 technical fouls in the 2025 season. But, from a performance perspective, Grace Knox still has a long way to go. That’s a tale for another day, as the immediate concern is dealing with a different nemesis.

Kim Mulkey’s LSU Face Tennessee Next as Grace Knox’s Playing Contention Hangs in Balance

“I guess you can say coach’s decision, yeah, it was,” were Kim Mulkey’s exact words when asked about the reason behind Knox’s absence from the playing lineup in the Missouri game. This raises a major question: Will Knox play in LSU’s next game against Tennessee? For now, there’s no update till now.

But since the Missouri game, there have been several updates regarding Knox’s foul incident. The freshman publicly apologized for her outburst that caused the team’s chances in trouble. “I can get kind of in the moment, and I realize that that hurt the team and that didn’t really look that well for LSU just as a school, so I did apologize to my teammates., Knox said. “I apologized to the coaches.”

In a different sequence of events, Ole Miss head Yolett McPhee-McCuin came in support of the freshman, suggesting that the dust had settled down. But for an official confirmation, we’ll have to wait until the Tennessee game, scheduled for February 26. On the court, Knox serves as an impactful bench player for Mulkey and the Tigers.

With her physicality, she helps her team defend the rim while also advancing near the paint. So, with this two-way expertise, Knox’s absence from the bench eradicates an impactful option in rotations for Mulkey.

Their opposition, on the other hand, isn’t doing any better in terms of their on-court performance this season. Kim Caldwell’s Lady Vols have lost 7 of their last 9 games. Thus, quite naturally, Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers have a north of 90% chance of winning the game. What are your thoughts on this game, and will Mulkey play Knox in the game? Do let us know in the comments.