{"id":90331,"date":"2024-04-16T01:10:17","date_gmt":"2024-04-16T01:10:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/16\/caitlin-clark-and-angel-reeses-rivalry-dynamic-explained\/"},"modified":"2024-04-16T01:10:17","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T01:10:17","slug":"caitlin-clark-and-angel-reeses-rivalry-dynamic-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/16\/caitlin-clark-and-angel-reeses-rivalry-dynamic-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese\u2019s Rivalry Dynamic Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.<\/span> Getty Images (2)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Women\u2019s college basketball has never been more popular, thanks in large part to a fierce rivalry between two of the game\u2019s biggest stars.<\/p>\n

Iowa\u2019s Caitlin Clark<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 who became the all-time NCAA scoring leader this season \u2014 and LSU\u2019s Angel Reese<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 who was named SEC Player of the Year \u2014 have helped usher in a new era of the sport, which will culminate in a highly anticipated Elite Eight showdown between the Hawkeyes and Tigers on Monday, April 1.<\/p>\n

The game is a rematch of last year\u2019s NCAA National Championship Game, which saw LSU defeat Iowa 102-85, earning the Tigers their first title in school history.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, Reese, 21, and Clark<\/a>, 22, engaged in a viral display of gamesmanship during the encounter that continued to play out far after the final whistle had blown \u2014 with the White House even getting involved.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>Us Weekly\u2019s Most Powerful Women of 2024: Taylor Swift, Beyonce and More<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tIn honor of Women\u2019s History Month, Us Weekly is celebrating the inspiring and powerful women currently dominating the cultural landscape. One cannot have a conversation about powerhouse women without mentioning Taylor Swift, whose ongoing Eras Tour became the first tour to gross over $1 billion in December 2023. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Before Clark and Reese go head-to-head one final time collegiately, keep reading for a deep dive into their contentious past:\n<\/p>\n

Angel Reese Taunts Caitlin Clark During National Championship Game<\/b><\/h3>\n

With the clock ticking down in April 2023\u2019s NCAA National Championship Game between LSU and Iowa, a triumphant Reese shadowed Clark around the court and made a \u201cyou can\u2019t see me\u201d gesture \u2014 originally popularized by John Cena<\/strong> \u2014 by waving her hand in front of her face. Reese also pointed at her ring finger, making reference to the championship prize that would soon be hers.<\/p>\n

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\n Angel Reese #10 of the LSU Lady Tigers reacts towards Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes.<\/span> Maddie Meyer\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the aftermath, some criticized Reese for a lack of sportsmanship.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a f\u2013king idiot,\u201d former ESPN personality Keith Olbermann<\/strong> tweeted<\/a> about Reese. \u201cDoesn\u2019t matter the gender, the sport, the background \u2013 you\u2019re seconds away from a championship and you do something like this and overshadow all the good. Mindless, classless, and what kind of coach does this team have?\u201d<\/p>\n

Olbermann later apologized for being \u201cuninformed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reese Calls Out \u201cDouble Standard\u201d With Clark<\/b><\/h3>\n

In the midst of criticism about her behavior, Reese was quick to point out that Clark had done the exact same \u201cyou can\u2019t see me\u201d gesture two games earlier in the tournament without any blowback.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t fit in the box that you all want me to be in,\u201d Reese said at the national championship\u2019s postgame press conference. \u201cI\u2019m too hood, I\u2019m too ghetto. You told me that all year. But when other people do it, y\u2019all don\u2019t say nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

She continued, \u201cSo this is for the girls that look like me, that want to speak up on what they believe in. It\u2019s unapologetically you. It was bigger than me tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark Defends Reese From the Backlash<\/b><\/h3>\n

Reese found a very powerful ally in all of the commotion about her on-court behavior: Clark herself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think Angel should be criticized at all,\u201d Clark told ESPN<\/a> two days after the game. \u201cI\u2019m just one that competes, and she competed. I think everybody knew there was going to be a little trash talk in the entire tournament. It\u2019s not just me and Angel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark called Reese \u201ca tremendous, tremendous player\u201d and said she is \u201ca big fan\u201d of her game.<\/p>\n

\u201cMen have always had trash talk,\u201d Clark continued. \u201cYou should be able to play with that emotion. That\u2019s how every girl should continue to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

The White House Controversy<\/b><\/h3>\n

It is the customary gesture of the White House to invite the national championship winners to the school for a celebration, but when First Lady Jill Biden<\/strong> said she wanted to invite runner-up Iowa as well, it didn\u2019t sit well with Reese.<\/p>\n

In response, she tweeted a link to a story about the Iowa invite and wrote \u201cA JOKE\u201d complete with three rolling-on-the-floor laughing emojis.<\/p>\n

The first lady\u2019s press secretary Vanessa Valdivia<\/strong> explained Biden\u2019s thought process, saying the invitation to both teams was meant to \u201capplaud the historic game and all women athletes\u201d and hoped to acknowledge \u201chow far women have advanced in sports since the passing of Title IX.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>ESPYs 2023 Red Carpet Arrivals<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tThe biggest names in sports ditched their jerseys for dresses, suits and more at the 2023 ESPYs on Wednesday, July 12.\u00a0 The ceremony, which was presented by Capitol One, aired live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Lil Wayne kicked off the event, bringing everybody to their feet with a memorable performance. H.E.R. also [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Still, Reese wasn\u2019t having it. \u201cI don\u2019t accept that \u2014 I\u2019m not going to lie to you, I don\u2019t accept that apology because she said what she said,\u201d Reese explained during an interview on the \u201cI Am Athlete\u201d podcast<\/a>. \u201cYou can\u2019t go back on certain things that you say. You felt that they should have came because of sportsmanship, right? [Iowa] can have that spotlight. We\u2019ll go to the Obamas. We\u2019ll see Michelle. We\u2019ll see Barack.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Reese later agreed to visit the White House and even helped present the first lady and President Joe Biden with custom LSU jerseys.<\/p>\n

The Evolution of Their Relationship<\/b><\/h3>\n

With both of their programs in the national spotlight again, Reese was candid about the mutual respect she and Clark have for each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think people realize it\u2019s not personal,\u201d Reese said Sunday, March 31. \u201cOnce we get out between those lines, if I see you walking down the street, it\u2019s like, \u2018Hey, girl, what\u2019s up? Let\u2019s hang out.\u2019 I think people just take it like we hate each other. Me and Caitlin Clark don\u2019t hate each other. I want everybody to understand that.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the court, however, Reese detailed how all pleasantries go out the window.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce I get between those lines, there\u2019s no friends,\u201d she continued. \u201cI\u2019m going to talk trash to you. I\u2019m going to do whatever it takes to get in your head the whole entire game, but after the game, we can kick it. I don\u2019t think people really realize that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reese said she was fine being cast in \u201cthe villain role,\u201d especially in the wake of the interest in their rivalry helping the sport reach new heights.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take the hit for it, but I know we\u2019re growing women\u2019s basketball,\u201d Reese noted. \u201cIf this is the way we\u2019re going to do it, then this is the way we\u2019re going to do it. You either like it or you don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark agreed, saying on Sunday that she and Reese have that \u201ccompetitive fire.\u201d<\/p>\n

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