‘I don’t take disrespect lightly’: Reese defends gesture to Clark in NCAA final

Angel Reese has defended herself over a gesture she made towards Iowa star Caitlin Clark during LSU’s NCAA Tournament victory over the Hawkeyes.

Reese made the “You can’t see me” gesture – made famous by wrestler John Cena – towards her opponent as the Tigers closed out their 102-85 victory, which secured their first NCAA women’s basketball title. She also pointed to her finger, referencing the championship ring she would soon receive.

Related: LSU crush Iowa by record score to win their first NCAA Tournament title

“[Clark is a] hell of a player but I don’t take disrespect lightly,” said Reese after the game. “She disrespected [LSU’s] Alexis [Morris] and I wanted to pick her pocket. But I had a moment at the end of her game … I was in my moment”.

Former ESPN host Keith Olbermann called Reese an “idiot” for the gesture, and the LSU forward was subject to widespread abuse on social media.

However, many pointed out that Reese, who is Black, was simply repeating a gesture Clark, who is white, had made earlier in the tournament. During a game against Louisville, Clark told an opponent: “You’re down by 15 points. Shut up”. She was often praised on social media for her spirit and swagger.

Reese referenced the double standard when speaking to reporters after the game. “All year I was critiqued about who I was. I’m too hood, I’m too ghetto, y’all told me that all year,” she said. “When other people do it, y’all don’t say nothing … So this is for the girls that look like me. For those that want to speak up for what they believe in ... It was bigger than me tonight. And Twitter is going to go into a rage every time.”

ESPN’s Holly Rowe defended both players. “People hating on Angel Reese or Caitlin Clark. Stop. Unapologetically confident young women should be celebrated NOT hated. Get used to it,” she wrote on Twitter.

Clark said she did not notice anything negative from Reese during the game.

“I was just trying to get to the handshake line and shake hands and be grateful that my team was in that position,” Clark said. “All the credit in the world to LSU. They were tremendous. They deserve it. They had a tremendous season.”

Reese and Clark enjoyed excellent tournaments. Reese notched a double-double in the final and was named the Most Outstanding Player award at the women’s Final Four, while Clark was the game’s top-scorer with 30 points. She had two 40-point triple-doubles in other games during the tournament.

Reese added that negative comments on social media help motivate her.

“Twitter can say what Twitter can say,” she said. “I love reading those comments. I have all the screenshots of what everybody has said about me all season. What are you going to say now?”