WACO, Texas — Kim Mulkey’s voice echoed loudly from the court as the fiery Baylor coach shouted instructions and encouragement to her players during their final on-campus practice before leaving for the NCAA Final Four in Denver.
Mulkey had promised to make no changes in how she will coach the undefeated Lady Bears this week, even after learning that she has Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis. And she showed it Thursday, with her voice clearly audible from practice nearby as the team prepares for Sunday’s showdown agaisnt Stanford.
“When I smile, it’s crooked, and when I talk, and talk loud, the hollowness in my hearing is weird,” she said. “But it’s not going to keep me from hollering.”
Mulkey is being treated with antiviral medication and oral steroids to reduce the inflammation of the facial nerve that causes the problem. It can take months for symptoms to subside.
