The NBA fandom had a fresh change of pace when March Madness came along to deliver the thrilling NCAA Division I tournament. This year’s surprise package turned out to be the NCAA Women’s Championship Final between the Caitlin Clark-led Iowa Hawkeyes and the Angel Reese-led LSU Tigers, which generated unprecedented numbers albeit being shrouded in controversy. However, despite having a groundbreaking tournament, Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal recently provided a brutal reality check to Iowa star Caitlin Clark.
Clark dominated the tournament by breaking many records on her path to the Final, only to be defeated by the LSU Tigers. Despite winning AP Player of the Year, Shaq refused to give the 21-year-old her flowers amid her ongoing feud with Angel Reese.
Shaquille O’Neal provides a brutal reality check to Caitlin Clark
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The 2023 NCAA Women’s Championship final broke many records by garnering 9.9 Million viewers. The number was more than the viewers who watched the 2021 NBA finals. Naturally, it was a staggering achievement, courtesy to the young ladies on the court.
Caitlin Clark couldn’t take her team past the dominating LSU Tigers despite her brilliant showing throughout the tournament. LSU’s win changed the whole narrative of the tournament. Meanwhile, recently, Angel Reese’s NIL valuation was declared at $1.3 Million, making her the highest projected earner in Women’s college basketball.
LSU's Angel Reese now has an On3 NIL Valuation of $1.3M🤯
She has gained over 2 million followers across her social media platforms since the beginning of March Madness📈
Reese is now the highest projected earner in all of Women's College Basketball💰https://t.co/GE4vYepSy5 pic.twitter.com/pl0wO5OJWv
— On3 (@On3sports) April 11, 2023
Keeping all of this in mind, Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal had some harsh words of advice for the young Caitlin Clark. Prior to the Final, Clark was on the tip of everyone’s tongue for being unstoppable. Hence, the four-time NBA Champion decided to chime in with a hot take weeks after the disappointing Final for the Hawkeyes.
In a recent episode of The Big Podcast, the Big Aristotle mentioned how people who lose the last game of the season, fade away from everyone’s memories. When co-host Nischelle Turner mentioned how Clark was as tough as the LSU team, Shaq quickly interrupted.
“Is she? Is she?” asked Shaq. After Turner answered affirmatively to Shaq’s sarcastic question, he added, “Okay, ’cause all the bad people I know closed the deal… You don’t get no cookies for coming in second. Can she shoot? Yes. Is she a hell of a player? Yes…However, you got to close the deal brother.”
Angel Reese on Jill Biden’s recent comments
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The First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, recently mentioned how she’d prefer the Iowa Hawkeyes accompany the LSU Tigers in their visit to the White House. It was a statement that Reese resented, as she unapologetically expressed her displeasure with celebrating people who came in second.
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The uproar against Jill Biden’s statement compelled the First Lady to swiftly apologize. However, Reese rejected the apology mentioning how she’d rather meet the “Obamas”.
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What is your opinion on the whole Clark-Reese fiasco? Do you think it is healthy to encourage such a rivalry at such a young age? Let us know in the comments below.