Though the closing drama of the ladies’s basketball national championship game — where LSU secured their first NCAA title and star Angel Reese notably taunted back to the Hawkeyes’ Catilin Clark — has passed, Reese still believes she’s going to carry a label along with her into the subsequent season.
“I really like Caitlin; we’ve been competing since we were in AAU,” Reese said on Thursday at LSU’s media day. “It was all the time fun, all the time competitive. Sooner or later, hopefully, we could even be teammates. She is an amazing player, shooter, person and teammate.
“The world is all the time going to have a great girl and a nasty girl. I’ll take that I’m going to be the bad guy because I do know I’ve grown women’s basketball and inspired people.”
The Lady Tigers’ championship was somewhat missed due to taunting from Reese, who faced backlash for giving the “you may’t see me” celebration — originally made famous by rapper Tony Yayo and later WWE legend John Cena — together with pointing to her ring finger throughout the final moments of the 102-85 victory.
Clark admitted she didn’t notice Reese’s gestures, but she defended her opponent, saying she didn’t think that there was anything flawed.
Clark can also be notably a taunter, which was on full display in Iowa’s game against Louisville towards now-turned-LSU player Hailey Van Lith.
“It was frustrating,” said Reese. “I mean, to see how we’ve grown women’s basketball… 9.9 million people watched the sport. That’s greater than the lads.
“I do know sooner or later we’re taking place within the history books, so it’s greater than me. I’m so completely happy that we won the championship. I wish it was more talked about.
“As much as they talked concerning the Caitlin situation… because we worked just as hard. We put plenty of sweat and tears into that championship and folks don’t realize that. … It’s one of the best of each worlds. I’m completely happy the situation happened, but at the identical time, I’m a national champion — and I’m getting a hoop.”
The LSU junior eventually revealed that she taunted Clark since the Iowa star “disrespected” the South Carolina Gamecocks in a viral moment that was likely when Clark waved off Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson, who had the ball at the highest of the perimeter, and didn’t trouble to defender her.
At media day, it was also identified to Reese that the “good vs. bad” labels are likely just given by fans depending on who they’re cheering for.
“Yeah, LSU loves me, but they won’t like her. People can think what they think,” Reese said. “Me and Caitlin are cool; we’ve never had any issues. Just knowing I’ve helped grow women’s basketball, and she or he has, too, that’s all that matters.”
The ladies’s tournament in April was a spectacle and the viewership numbers easily swept the previous ESPN high.
Reese and Clark and their respective teams were a serious component of that, and the eye will proceed this upcoming season.
LSU has had a productive offseason, constructing a budding superteam after adding top transfers Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow, and the team is more likely to be a top favorite for a two-peat season.
Though the closing drama of the ladies’s basketball national championship game — where LSU secured their first NCAA title and star Angel Reese notably taunted back to the Hawkeyes’ Catilin Clark — has passed, Reese still believes she’s going to carry a label along with her into the subsequent season.
“I really like Caitlin; we’ve been competing since we were in AAU,” Reese said on Thursday at LSU’s media day. “It was all the time fun, all the time competitive. Sooner or later, hopefully, we could even be teammates. She is an amazing player, shooter, person and teammate.
“The world is all the time going to have a great girl and a nasty girl. I’ll take that I’m going to be the bad guy because I do know I’ve grown women’s basketball and inspired people.”
The Lady Tigers’ championship was somewhat missed due to taunting from Reese, who faced backlash for giving the “you may’t see me” celebration — originally made famous by rapper Tony Yayo and later WWE legend John Cena — together with pointing to her ring finger throughout the final moments of the 102-85 victory.
Clark admitted she didn’t notice Reese’s gestures, but she defended her opponent, saying she didn’t think that there was anything flawed.
Clark can also be notably a taunter, which was on full display in Iowa’s game against Louisville towards now-turned-LSU player Hailey Van Lith.
“It was frustrating,” said Reese. “I mean, to see how we’ve grown women’s basketball… 9.9 million people watched the sport. That’s greater than the lads.
“I do know sooner or later we’re taking place within the history books, so it’s greater than me. I’m so completely happy that we won the championship. I wish it was more talked about.
“As much as they talked concerning the Caitlin situation… because we worked just as hard. We put plenty of sweat and tears into that championship and folks don’t realize that. … It’s one of the best of each worlds. I’m completely happy the situation happened, but at the identical time, I’m a national champion — and I’m getting a hoop.”
The LSU junior eventually revealed that she taunted Clark since the Iowa star “disrespected” the South Carolina Gamecocks in a viral moment that was likely when Clark waved off Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson, who had the ball at the highest of the perimeter, and didn’t trouble to defender her.
At media day, it was also identified to Reese that the “good vs. bad” labels are likely just given by fans depending on who they’re cheering for.
“Yeah, LSU loves me, but they won’t like her. People can think what they think,” Reese said. “Me and Caitlin are cool; we’ve never had any issues. Just knowing I’ve helped grow women’s basketball, and she or he has, too, that’s all that matters.”
The ladies’s tournament in April was a spectacle and the viewership numbers easily swept the previous ESPN high.
Reese and Clark and their respective teams were a serious component of that, and the eye will proceed this upcoming season.
LSU has had a productive offseason, constructing a budding superteam after adding top transfers Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow, and the team is more likely to be a top favorite for a two-peat season.
