The NCAA women’s basketball tournament final was underway yesterday. While the match itself was spectacular, something else became the fodder for all discussions. What would a sports match be without a little bit of back-and-forth banter? But when Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark went head-to-head with one another, it became major news. However, Reese came out on the bad side of it from multiple sources. But the 20-year-old can rest easy and feel proud, for she found support in some of the biggest names in world athletics.
The ‘You Can’t See Me’ gesture, mostly associated with WWE-star-turned-Hollywood-actor John Cena, was at the center of the controversy. While Reese is being criticized by many for being crude by showing that gesture to Clark, Shaquille O’Neal, and Sha’Carri Richardson have supported her via their Instagram. Here’s how the whole event went down and what happened beyond.
What happened between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark?
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The Iowa Hawkes competed against the LSU Tigers in the final showdown. The LSU Tigers beat the Hawkes by a 102-85 margin, bringing the women’s event in March Madness to an end. The game proceeded like any other competition between two strong teams, except things got a little too heated between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.
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Reese made a gesture toward her finger and also showed the ‘you can’t see me’ expression on the court. She did that towards the end of the match when the Tigers were already winning. Hence, while the finger gesture was to indicate that she would be wearing the championship ring, the other gesture was a clap back to Clark. And this is what landed Reese in heaps of trouble.
Many from different factions started calling her “classless” and showed stern opposition to her action. But LA Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal and Track & Field star Sha’Carri Richardson firmly stood beside the 20-year-old via Instagram.
Angel Reese is happy to be on the good side of Richardson and O’Neal
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O’Neal, who has previously voiced his support for female players trash-talking akin to men, also shared another story that showed the true reason why Reese clapped back at Clark. As it so happened, Clark had gestured the ‘You Can’t See Me’ hands-waving-in-front-of-face pose to Reese, after a three-point conversion attempt. Naturally, after the Tigers were convincingly leading and on their way to winning, Reese returned the favor.
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Despite the controversy around the LSU athlete, and the narrative made around her, Reese’s confidence throughout this incident has been unwavering. She even said at the press conference, “I’m happy… All year I was critiqued about who I was. Nobody… I don’t fit the narrative…” She exuded class.
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