As LSU cruised to a 102-85 win over Iowa in the women’s NCAA Tournament championship game on Sunday, the Tigers’ Angel Reese mocked March Madness sensation Caitlin Clark.
Reese hit Clark with the “you can’t see me” taunt made famous by John Cena, and then pointed to her ring finger.
It was Clark who busted out the “you can’t see me” taunt during Iowa’s win over Louisville in the Elite Eight last week, which drew the praise of the pro wrestler-turned-actor Cena. Clark waved her hand in front of her face as she had a historic 40-point triple-double.
Clark certainly did her part to help the Hawkeyes on Sunday, scoring a game-high 30 points. Reese, meanwhile, had 15 points plus 10 rebounds for LSU, but earned another honor over Clark when she was named the most outstanding player of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
“I don’t care about anybody else and what they have to say about me,” Reese said. “That’s the difference between me and a lot of people. I don’t. The biggest goal for me is the national championship. I don’t care to be All-American. I don’t care to be defensive player of the year, player of the year. The biggest goal is to be a national champion, and that’s what I did.”
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Afterward, Clark said that she “honestly no idea what happened,” when asked about Reese’s taunt.
Clark’s coach, Lisa Bluder, also commented on the moment.
“I’m sure she was really proud of her accomplishment, and I would be really proud of my accomplishment if I won the national championship,” Bluder said. “We are all different people, with different ways to show emotions. I’ve got to focus on what I can control.”
Clark, the consensus national player of the year, might have invited some payback Sunday. She followed up her “you can’t see me” taunt in the Elite Eight with a savage wave-off of South Carolina freshman guard Raven Johnson during the Final Four showdown on Friday night.
Reese called Clark a “hell of a player” but said she was just waiting for the moment to call out the “you can’t see me” taunt.
“I don’t take disrespect lightly,” Reese said during ESPN’s postgame interview.
LSU’s Alexis Moore called out Clark before Sunday’s game for disrespecting Johnson on defense.
“They’re still my SEC girls,” Reese said.
While basking in the glory of LSU’s first national championship in program history, Reese was unapologetic about her gestures toward Clark.
“All year I was critiqued about who I was,” Reese said. “I don’t fit the narrative. I don’t fit in a box that y’all want me to be in. I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto. Y’all told me that all year. But when other people do it, y’all say nothing. So this was for the girls that look like me, that’s going to speak up on what they believe in.”
Contributing: Lindsay Schnell, USA TODAY Sports; Cora Hall, Lafayette Daily Advertiser
