Angel Reese stands up for her gesture towards Caitlin Clark after LSU national title victory; exposes hypocrisy while embracing her true self
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LSU star Angel Reese has recently defended her gesture towards Iowa Hawkeyes’ Caitlin Clark during the Tigers’ first NCAA women’s basketball national championship victory. Reese clarified her actions, stating, “I don’t take disrespect lightly.” The gesture involved Reese moving her open hand in front of her face, a popularized gesture meaning “you can’t see me.” She then pointed to her ring finger, potentially referencing her newly-acquired championship ring.
This gesture, which Clark had made earlier in the tournament too, has sparked significant debate, particularly on social media platforms. While some have criticized Reese, others have defended her actions, pointing out the lack of public outrage towards Clark’s gesture in an earlier game.
Sports journalist Jose de Jesus Ortiz referred to Reese’s actions as “classless,” and former ESPN host Keith Olbermann labeled Reese an “idiot” for the gesture.
In the post-game press conference, Reese highlighted the disparity in reactions between her gesture and Clark’s previous gesture. She expressed, “All year, I was critiqued for who I was. I don’t fit the narrative. I don’t fit the box that y’all want me to be in. I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto. Y’all told me that all year. But when other people do it, and y’all don’t say nothing.”
Reese further added, “So this is for the girls that look like me. For those that want to speak up for what they believe in. It’s unapologetically you. And that’s what I did it for tonight. It was bigger than me tonight. And Twitter is going to go into a rage every time.”
Reese’s outstanding performance in the championship game, with 15 points and 10 rebounds, earned her the women’s March Madness’ Most Outstanding Player award. During the post-game broadcast, she referred to Clark’s similar gesture towards a Louisville opponent in the Elite Eight.
In response to the controversy, Clark stated that she didn’t notice anything at the time as she was focused on shaking hands and being grateful for her team’s position. LSU head coach Kim Mulkey expressed having no knowledge of the incident.
Among those defending Reese on social media were ESPN’s Holly Rowe and former NBA star Etan Thomas. Rowe praised confident young women and urged others to celebrate them. Thomas highlighted the double standards and lack of issue when Clark made a similar gesture.
Reese mentioned that the negative reactions on social media throughout the season have fueled her excellent performance, averaging 23.0 points and 15.4 rebounds. She proudly stated, “Twitter can say what they want to say. I love reading those comments. I have all the screenshots of what everybody has said about me all season. What are you going to say now?”