Kim Mulkey Proves Her Love For LSU Players By Changing Name Of Rebounding Drill For Ukrainian Transfer

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey is the most polarizing personality in women’s college basketball. People are going to hate her for whatever she says and does but the results speak for themselves. She wins.

And, regardless of whether you like her or not, it is impossible to deny the love she has for her players.

Even if the 63-year-old takes a harsh and sometimes controversial approach to coaching women’s college basketball, her ultimate goal is to set these young women up for success in their next stage of life — both as players and as people. You don’t have to agree, which some (if not many) of her former players won’t, but Mulkey is always going to do what she thinks is best for her people.

Kim Mulkey is old school.

Mulkey won two national championships as the starting point guard at Louisiana Tech in 1981 and 1982 under the legendary Sonja Hogg. She won four national titles as a coach with two different teams in 2005, 2012, 2019 and 2023.

Her success speaks for itself.

However, Mulkey is something of a dying breed within the sport. As the landscape of college sports continues to change and coaches take a more compassionate approach to leadership, the head coach at LSU remains exactly the same today as she was when she was hired at Baylor in 2000. For better or for worse.

That consistency includes both her attitude as well as the actual on-court procedure. The Tigers run the same drills today that Mulkey ran as a player more than 40 years ago.

One of those drills is perhaps best known as the ‘Russian Transition Shooting Drill.’ Or, in this case, the formerly-known-as ‘Russian Rebounding Drill.’

The concept is simple.

Two teams of five set up at opposite ends. Both groups get one ball. The ball cannot hit the floor.

Whichever player gets the rebound must immediately take a shot and run to the other end of the floor to prepare for the next rebound. It’s a constant, nonstop tip drill. Players run back and forth for a minute. They must start over if the ball hits the ground.

It is a grueling drill that focuses on conditioning, quick-thinking and rebounding. It also has a new name.

Ukraine > Russia.

One of LSU’s biggest (literally) offseason additions came through the transfer portal. The Tigers added 6-foot-5 sophomore forward Kate Koval, who averaged 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game last year.

She was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team at Notre Dame. She will likely start at the five spot at LSU.

Here’s the thing.

Koval was born in Kyiv, Ukraine so the ‘Russian Rebounding Drill’ is not her favorite. Not only because it is grueling, because of the name.

In fact, Koval asked the coaching staff in Baton Rouge to change the name. Kim Mulkey happily obliged!