The internet is in an uproar over LSU’s Angel Reese taunting Iowa’s Caitlin Clark during the NCAA Women’s College Basketball Championship game. LSU won the game 102-85. Reese did the John Cena “you can’t see me” hand gesture to Clark as the clock ran down in the final moments of the game. Reese, or “Bayou Barbie” as she is known, also pointed to her ring finger, signaling that they had just won the championship. Many casual observers of the game called these moves classless and unsportsmanlike. The problem is that many people saw this clip without any prior context and just made a snap decision, which is the type of behavior that is unfortunately encouraged on social media.
Caitlin Clark had done the John Cena celebration/taunt in a prior game against Louisville. In that same game, she told another player to “shut up” and that they were down by 15 points. ESPN even produced an entire segment on Clark’s trash-talking. The segment was all positive with Clark’s Iowa teammates glowing about how competitive and firey she is. So, of course, not only will other teams in the NCAA see the ESPN segment, but they will also see and hear Clark’s “firey” nature on the court. It is very common and expected in sports for trash-talkers to get trash-talked whenever they suffer a loss. Social media people and uninformed onlookers largely reacted out of outrage and ignorance.
SOURCES:
LSU’s Angel Reese gives Iowa’s Caitlin Clark taste of her own medicine
Caitlin Clark responds to Angel Reese’s taunt after Iowa’s loss to LSU in National Championship
Angel Reese defends gesture directed towards Caitlin Clark after LSU national title win; calls out double standard after being ‘unapologetically’ her | CNN
LSU’s Angel Reese talks taunt of Caitlin Clark, social media criticism: ‘What are you gonna say now?’
Content to not ‘fit the narrative,’ LSU’s Reese has last laugh
LSU’s Angel Reese suggests double standard over criticism aimed at her: ‘Twitter is gonna go in a rage’ | Fox News
Caitlin Clark responds to Angel Reese’s taunt after Iowa’s loss to LSU in National Championship
LSU Wins NCAA Women’s Title With Rout of Iowa and Clark – The New York Times
