LSU women’s basketball forward Angel Reese was anathematized all over social media for giving Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark a taste of her own medicine during Sunday’s game.
The viral moment transpired around the fourth quarter of the game — the Tigers were dominating the Hawkeyes. Reese approached Clark doing the WWE star John Cena’s “you can’t see me” hand gesture and tapping her ring finger, gesturing the home for her new championship ring. Clark moved around the court pretending not to see, but Reese followed her to ensure she did.
THIS MOMEMT!!!
LSU’s Angel Reese hit the Caitlin Clark with the “YOU CAN’T SEE ME” and then the RING! #WFinalFour pic.twitter.com/AvDlqHyCrI
— Darren M. Haynes (@DarrenMHaynes) April 2, 2023
Haters immediately bashed Reese, calling her actions “classless” and even “ghetto.” Meanwhile, Snow White in basketball shorts was praised online.
THIS MOMEMT!!!
LSU’s Angel Reese hit the Caitlin Clark with the “YOU CAN’T SEE ME” and then the RING! #WFinalFour pic.twitter.com/AvDlqHyCrI
— Darren M. Haynes (@DarrenMHaynes) April 2, 2023
Angel Reese has no class.
— Produkt 🇵🇷 (@ProduKtJRG) April 2, 2023
ANGEL REESE IS GHETTO, CLASSLESS, AND RATCHET!!! I said what I said! And she got CARRIED to the Win! Caitlin Clark lives RENT FREE in her head 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/x8Okhtdx58
— T.J. The Realist (Cheeze) 🏀🏁 (@TJPhillips_1) April 3, 2023
But let’s rewind to Sunday, March 26, when Miss “do no wrong” made the same Cena hand gesture during the Louisville Cardinals vs. Hawkeyes game. Many commenters praised Clark for her actions, calling it “swag.”
If it wasn’t “classless” when Caitlin Clark did it, don’t call it classless when Angel Reese does it. Let the women compete, it’s sports!! pic.twitter.com/lJpS1NId68
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) April 2, 2023
The double standard is evident.
Clark has been applauded nationwide for her skills as a baller. Sports analyst Stephen A. Smith named her the “Stephen Curry” of women’s basketball. But her talent couldn’t protect the University of Iowa junior from being called out by Smith and Skip and Shannon: Undisputed co-host Shannon Sharpe for instigating.
“Here’s the reality of the situation,” Smith said. “[Clark] instigated this kind of stuff. Let’s call it what it is. She was waving, she was doing the Cena…she didn’t mind being disrespectful, so why is it that we’re hesitant to bring that up?”
Smith hit the nail on the head when he said, “We all know that there’s a white, Black issue here because the fact of the matter is when Caitlin did it, people were celebrating it. But then the second the sister stepped up and threw it back in her face, now you got half the basketball world saying, ‘Well, you know what, that’s not the classiest thing to do.'”
During Monday’s taping of Undisputed, Sharpe criticized America’s Black and white perspective, calling out the double standard.
“We see it two different ways. 48 hours ago when Caitlin Clark did the John Cena, it was considered swag. 48 hours later, Angel Reese does the exact same gesture, it’s classless.”
Sharpe also mentioned asshat sports commentator Keith Olbermann calling Reese a “f**king idiot” on Twitter when no one asked for his input. To make matters worse, Olbermann realized he was slamming Reese without knowing the backstory (Clark making the gesture first), admitting he didn’t know what he was talking about since he doesn’t report on basketball or women’s sports.
What a fucking idiot https://t.co/C8dW0tukfP
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) April 2, 2023
Doesn’t matter the gender, the sport, the background – you’re seconds away from a championship and you do something like this and overshadow all the good. Mindless, classless, and what kind of coach does this team have?
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) April 2, 2023
I apologize for being uninformed last night about the back story on this. I don’t follow hoops, college or pro, men or women. I had no idea about Clark. Both were wrong.
This is what I said in today’s Countdown podcast. 2nd segment, about 24 minutes in: https://t.co/JDYjXBrkWy pic.twitter.com/0E1HxZyv2I
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) April 3, 2023
Thankfully, kings Shaquille O’Neal and Samuel L. Jackson slammed the dipstick.
shut your dumb ass up leave angel reese alone.
— SHAQ (@SHAQ) April 3, 2023
Thanks for reminding us what Lil Dick Energy actually is, Keith!!!
— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) April 3, 2023
While Clark’s fans are busy kissing her feet and stepping on Reese’s, it’s imperative to know that this isn’t Clark’s first time taunting her opponents. Many videos are circling the web, proving Clark’s comfort with being disrespectful during the entire March Madness Tournament.
While playing against the Cardinals, Clark told an opponent, “you’re down 15 points. Shut up.”
@justwomenssports Caitlin Clark talk that talk 🗣️ #caitlinclark #wbb #iowawomensbasketball ♬ stay fly – andrea
Another video showed her playing against the South Carolina Gamecocks and disrespectfully waving off Raven Johnson, the opponent she was supposed to guard, like she had nothing to worry about.
@unwritten.b Just savage 😂😂 but my girl Raven Johnson responded with NOT ONE, but TWO BACK TO BACK 3’s #womensbasketball #ncaa #gamecockwomensbasketball #marchmadness #iowawomensbasketball #ncaawbb ♬ original sound – Big B
The Gamecocks and Cardinals situation led to the Reese and Clark beef. After winning the NCAA National Championship, Reese revealed to the Sports Center that she respected Clark as a player but didn’t tolerate disrespect.
“Caitlin Clark is a hell of a player for sure,” Reese remarked. “But I don’t take disrespect lightly. She direspected Alexis [Morris] and my girls…South Carolina they’re still my SEC girls too.”
“I don’t take disrespect lightly.”
Angel Reese on her celebration in front of Caitlin Clark. pic.twitter.com/IxrdUz1ae6
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 2, 2023
Morris, an LSU guard, also (respectfully) put Clark in her place during her interview with ESPN on the court.
“Caitlin you had an amazing game, you’re a great player, but you got to put some respect on LSU. You got to put some respect on my name,” Morris said, earning cheers from the audience.
“Caitlin (Clark), you are amazing player, you had a great game….But you got to put some respect on LSU’s name.”
Alexis Morris with a mic drop 🎤 of notable proportions. pic.twitter.com/A7Tfq032J5
— Andrew Jerell Jones, Luke 1:37 (IG:twdbk3) (@sluggahjells) April 2, 2023
Despite the many Clark butt-kissers, future GOAT Reese didn’t cower; she clarified that her actions had a purpose.
“All year, I was critiqued about who I was,” she exclaimed. “I don’t fit the narrative. I don’t fit in 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, y’all don’t say nothing. So this is for the girls that look like me…that’s going to speak up on what they believe in. It’s unapologetically you and that’s what I did it for tonight.”
“I’m too hood, I’m too ghetto. Y’all told me that all year. But when other people do it, y’all don’t say nothing. So this is for the girls that look like me.”
Angel Reese is unapologetically her 👏 @Reese10Angel pic.twitter.com/9cuCWwayhA
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) April 2, 2023
