The 2023 ESPY Awards took an unexpected turn. Angel Reese, the breakout star of the LSU women’s basketball team, won the prestigious “Breakout Athlete” award. While fans initially celebrated her victory, outrage sparked among them after Reese’s speech and a subsequent tweet from ESPN. It also reignited the rivalry between Reese and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark.
Let’s dive into the fan reactions and the controversy surrounding Reese’s remarks and the infamous gesture.
Angel Reese: ESPY Award win and speech
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Angel Reese is known for her remarkable performance with the Louisiana State Tigers in the NCAA women’s basketball championship. Recently, she received the “Breakout Athlete” award at the ESPYs. Athletes who take massive leaps in a single season and play significantly better than before receive this acclaim.
Upon receiving the trophy, the 21-year-old was extremely grateful to her mom. She thanked her and mentioned that her mom, “put me and my brother through college.” In her acceptance speech, she expressed gratitude to her team, coaches, and LSU, and confidently proclaimed, “Another natty is coming, period.”
"Another natty is coming, period." 💅
You heard it at the ESPYS first❗️ pic.twitter.com/A7VxH0Eq41
— ESPN (@espn) July 13, 2023
Watch This Story: “Love the Bond and Support”: Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo and Other NBA Stars Showing Up for 26yo WNBA Champion Fills Fans’ Hearts
However, her speech took a controversial turn when Reese mocked Caitlin Clark, a fellow nominee, with the “You can’t see me” gesture, drawing immediate backlash from fans. Fans instantly flooded the tweet from ESPN with replies, slamming Reese.
Fans “cringe hard” at Reese
Reese’s gesture, made famous by John Cena, ignited a firestorm of criticism from fans. Some felt it was disrespectful and uncalled for. Moreover, it reignited the infamous rivalry between her and Clark. Famously, in the NCAA championship game, Reese had pulled the same gesture after defeating Clark’s team. And just like before, fans flooded the replies with their disappointment.
Some were straight-up not impressed with Reese’s game.
She won a title sure, but wasn’t even the best player on her team. If it wasn’t for her mocking Caitlyn Clark (the best player in women’s college basketball) no one know who she was except tik tok kids
— JT (@josh_tynes) July 13, 2023
However, this fan had a quick retort to the “no one knew” Reese arguments. He came to her defense with a promising stat.
She led the nation in double doubles. Most people knew exactly who she was.
— Central Florida Preps (@CenFLAPreps) July 13, 2023
Famously, Clark started doing the “you can’t see me” long before Reese. This fan thinks that Clark has all the real estate in Reese’s head.
She's still on that? 😂 Clarke living rent free in her head.
— Mo Abz 〽️ (@inthemo_ment) July 13, 2023
One fan emphatically proclaimed that he “threw up” after hearing the speech.
I threw up
— Gio Urshela (@sports_fan29) July 13, 2023
Another fan was “cringing” about Angel’s choice of words during her speech.
I cringe so hard hearing anyone say period…
— Salley Mitchell (@SalleyBMitchell) July 13, 2023
Some argued that Clark deserved the award and highlighted her exceptional achievements in the sport.
Lmao she was third best player on HER OWN TEAM that game. 😂 Loved when everyone compared what she did to what Caitlin did. Caitlin literally did it for two seconds walking to the bench. Reese followed Caitlin around for twenty seconds trying to get her attention. It was cringe
— e (@evanpatrick92) July 13, 2023
If we had to sum it up, this tweet probably captures the fans sentiment the best.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Caitlin Clark>Angel Reese
— Mike Williams (@spartanmike6) July 13, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Angel Reese’s ESPY Award win, combined with her controversial gesture toward Caitlin Clark, has created a storm of fan outrage and divided opinions. While Reese’s victory initially celebrated her impressive breakout season, her mocking gesture has overshadowed the moment and sparked widespread criticism.
As the story unfolds, it remains to be seen how Reese and the larger basketball community will address the controversy. However, the fans’ outrage puts stress on the importance of sportsmanship and respect in the world of sports.