The NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament has concluded with a winner, but the game itself isn’t what the internet is currently buzzing about; it’s Angel Reese.
Yesterday (April 2), the 20-year-old shooting guard/small forward led her team, Louisiana State University (LSU), to their first national championship in the program’s history. It was a remarkable feat that deserved the highest recognition, but several users on Twitter had other thoughts.
At the end of the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes, Reese looked at their star guard, Caitlin Clark, and did the “You can’t see me” expression toward her. The movement is iconically known in the WWE and was created by John Cena. In matches, he would wave his hand in front of his face to opponents, referring to them being unable to see him.
ANGEL REESE TO CAITLIN CLARK 😳 pic.twitter.com/2NY0CEzwJ3
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 2, 2023
Many viewers had issues with Reese displaying that movement toward Clark, while others came to her defense and questioned why it wasn’t a problem when Clark previously did it herself.
On Twitter, LeBron James co-signed sports analyst Emmanuel Acho’s tweet about women competing in sports. “If it wasn’t ‘classless’ when Caitlin Clark did it, don’t call it classless when Angel Reese does it,” he tweeted. “Let the women compete. It’s sports!!”
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
Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Reese is a certified baller. The former McDonald’s All-American signed with a hometown college before transferring to LSU last year and joining their women’s basketball team. After winning the championship, Reese spoke to the media regarding comments made about her throughout the season.
“I don’t fit in the box that y’all want me to be in,” she told reporters. “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.”
"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. When other people do it, y'all don't say nothing. This was for the people that look like me." – Angel Reese ❤️👑
— WSLAM (@wslam) April 3, 2023