SNL Cold Open Mocks Kim Mulkey, Highlights Popularity Of Women's Basketball Tournament
The NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament is more popular than ever, and even Saturday Night Live is taking notice.
NBC's sketch comedy show had a March Madness themed cold open this week, which highlighted the record-setting crowds and TV ratings of this year's women's tournament and made fun of the lack of hype surrounding the men's games.
The skit centered around the NBA on TNT crew of Ernie Johnson (played by James Austin Johnson), Kenny Smith (Devon Walker) and Charles Barkley (Kenan Thompson) hosting a March Madness post-game show
"It's hard to get excited (about the men's tournament) when there are better games on," Walker said.
Johnson asked if he was referencing the NBA, and Walker responded, "Nah, the women's tournament."
"The women's tournament is where the action is at. You know how many people watched the Iowa and Connecticut game? Caitlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers, 14 million people. Man, that is Young Sheldon numbers," Walker said.
He's right about that. Friday's Final Four game between Iowa and Connecticut pulled in 14.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched women's college basketball game ever. And that's largely thanks to Iowa star Caitlin Clark.
"Women's tournament is where they have the stars," Thompson said. "Caitlin Clark is doing ads for State Farm, Subway, Xfinity and Nike. I'm only doing ads for three of those companies."
(Getty Images)
Johnson then steered the tournament back to the men's side, where Thompson reluctantly previewed the match-up between Purdue and UConn — in the most vague and flippant way possible.
The crew then brought in LSU women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey (played by Heidi Gardner), who wore a bright, feathery pink jacket. She describes it as a custom-made shirt, designed to look like "the Riddler went to Talbots."
(NBC's Saturday Night Live)
Johnson asked about her reputation as a coach who is too tough on her players. And because it's still SNL, they had to throw a quick political joke in there.
"People just think I'm mean because I've got resting QAnon face. But that's what it takes to win in the college game and I work my girls hard," Gardner as Mulkey says. "Every day, I make them run 10 miles breathing in Louisiana swamp gas. Then we practice full contact.
"And if I don't see hustle, I'll throw a live alligator on the court. You better box out that gator and don't get ate up now."
Asked about the men's National Championship, Spoof Kim Mulkey predicted "Northern Southern State" would take home the trophy — to which Johnson replied that she's clearly not watching the men's tournament either.
Good for the ladies getting credit from SNL! We'll take these funny sports skits over sanctimonious political non-humor any day.