Mulkey’s teams have long been formidable foes

It was John Conlee’s “Old School” that Baylor coach Kim Mulkey was singing during a postgame news conference at the XL Center in January 2020.

“Y’all heard that song?” Mulkey said. “Country music fans in here, raise your hands.”

Mulkey’s Bears had just roughed up UConn in the fourth quarter of a 74-58 victory, the most recent meeting between these teams in a series that resumes Monday at the Alamodome. She cut herself off — “All right, we’ve got to get on a plane” — but started singing again as she exited.

Geno Auriemma hasn’t faced many coaches and UConn hasn’t faced many opponents capable of consistently pushing back against the Huskies. Pat Summitt and Tennessee did it for stretches of that rivalry in 1995-2007. Muffet McGraw and Notre Dame did it in the 2010s. Mulkey and Baylor have done it in recent years, too.

Now with the NCAA Tournament’s River Walk Region down to one game, two brand-name programs and Hall of Fame coaches meet with a berth in the Final Four on the line.

UConn and Baylor have met eight times and the series is tied 4-4. There isn’t an abundantly rich history, just one NCAA Tournament meeting, but this a fascinating situation nonetheless — for the stakes involved, the seasons each team has put together, and the wildly successful coaches on the sideline.

Mulkey, the point guard for a Louisiana Tech team that won the first women’s NCAA Tournament in 1982, played with a vigor that was easy to appreciate 40 years ago. With three national titles and a 632-103 record over 21 seasons, she coaches the way most great coaches do, pushing every vibrant aspect of her personality into everything her program does.