LSU’s women’s basketball team walked away with the National Championship on Sunday, besting Iowa Basketball and tournament star Caitlin Clark. Grabbing headlines after the game is LSU’s star Angel Reese and her taunt toward Clark at the end of the game.
The move was one of the many things to spark outrage on social media with the game, alongside frustration with the referees. But Reese’s act gained plenty of attention, too, and she explained her motivation after the game.
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“I was waiting, I tell you I was waiting I was waiting,” Reese told ESPN. “Caitlin Clark is a hell of a player for sure, but I don’t take disrespect lightly, and she disrespected [Alexis Morris], and my girls, South Carolina, they’re still my SEC girls too. Y’all not gonna disrespect them either so. I wanted to pick her pocket, but I had a moment at the end of the game, and that was just I was in my bag. I was in my moment.”
Morris is a one of LSU’s guards, giving Reese some personal fuel for the moment. She also took aim at Clark before the game due to Clark’s action on Friday. The taunt was a call back to Clark’s use of the John Cena “you can’t see me” taunt on Friday’s win over South Carolina to move out of the Final Four.
The taunt split the crowd online, with reactions condemning Reese and others praising her for fair play. According to the LSU standout, she’s not apologizing and she’s keeping true to herself.
“All year I was critiqued about who I was,” Reese said. “I don’t fit the narrative. I don’t fit in a 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 say nothing. So this was for the girls that look like me, that’s going to speak up on what they believe in.”
Clark has been the talk of the tournament so far due to her 40-point triple-double against Louisville in the Elite Eight round last week. She busted out the “you can’t see me” taunt there too.