Emotional Kim Mulkey responds to backlash over her post-game comments last Saturday.
“I’m sorry for the choice of words,” Mulkey said through tears Thursday.
“The timing wasn’t good, poor analogy, maybe as well.”
Mulkey addressed the media Thursday in Waco before her team leaves for the Big 12 tournament this weekend.
It’s just the second time she’s been in front of media since her controversial comments following her 500th career win over Texas Tech.
“Those of you who know me know I’m an emotional person. I coach with emotion. I played with emotion. And it was an emotional moment. I guess you’d say it got the best of me because I really do love this place.”
Mulkey’s response comes after the coach was heavily criticized for telling the Baylor crowd after the milestone win that "If somebody is around you and they say, 'I will never send my daughter to Baylor,' you knock them right in the face. Because these kids are on this campus. I work here. My daughter went to school here...And it's the damn best school in America."
In the press conference following the controversial on-court statement, Mulkey doubled down in her response, saying the problems at Baylor are no different than the problems at any other school adding “period. Move on. Find another story to write.”
Mulkey later apologized to a writer at ESPN saying her remarks did not express exactly what she was trying to say.
When reporters asked Mulkey for clarification following her win at Oklahoma Monday night, Mulkey referred them to the ESPN article, but offered no other details.
But on Thursday, Mulkey appeared to let it all out saying she’s angry for the way the University she loves failed victims of sexual assault.
“You know awful things happened here, guys. We failed victims here. But I am encouraged every day because I see what’s taken place to fix it. And, I just think we have responded the way we can aggressively, financially, we’ve admitted out mistakes.”
“My heart goes out to victims, how could it not, I am a woman. I have a daughter. I’m responsible for how many in that locker room? In fact, I’m angry that we failed those women but I’m also encouraged because I see that we’re trying to do better. All ya’ll have heard me say this numerous times, one crime against anybody is too many in my world and it should be in the entire world. But, I have had a wonderful experience as a mother of a child at this university, a daughter and the parents that send me their daughters those kids and those parents can tell you the same. “
Mulkey and the Lady Bears will play in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament in Oklahoma City on Saturday against the winner of TCU and Texas Tech.