LSU's Kim Mulkey has heart procedure; 'accidentally' found issue - ESPN

Kim Mulkey said a little numbness on the tip of her finger combined with curiosity resulted in her having a potentially life-saving heart procedure this summer.

Her defending champion LSU women's basketball team officially began practice in front of fans Monday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Tuesday, the Tigers are scheduled to have CPR training. Mulkey always thought it was an important skill for the players to learn, even before her procedure.

In late June, Mulkey had two stents put into a coronary artery that had 95-99% blockage. Mulkey had not experienced symptoms and had no idea she had any heart issues. She initially had gone to see a doctor about only a small, nagging issue, but then a chain reaction of procedures led to the discovery of the blocked artery.

«I never even felt bad,» Mulkey said. «I'm still kind of in shock that we accidentally found this. So my message in sharing this is, if you're over 50, go get a stress test.

»I've had some of my former teammates tell me, 'We're going to do it.' That's why I share these things. I'm an open book if it's something that can help people. It's just a great lesson for all of us who think that it won't happen to us."

Things are in high gear now for Mulkey and the Tigers. They return standouts such as All-American and Final Four most outstanding player Angel Reese and SEC freshman of the year Flau'Jae Johnson. Plus, LSU adds top transfers Aneesah Morrow and Hailey Van Lith, along with a highly regarded freshman class. The Tigers start the season Nov. 6 against Colorado in Las Vegas.

Earlier this month the LSU Board of Supervisors approved a 10-year, $36 million contract extension for Mulkey, the richest deal ever for a women's basketball coach.

But back in May, a