When former LSU star Angel Reese went viral in 2023 during their championship game matchup, Caitlin Clark shared her immediate reactions.
Reese famously made the ‘U Can’t See Me’ gesture in front of Clark, who had previously done it in a game against Louisville, during the Tigers’ 102-85 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes. Furthermore, during the end of the fourth quarter, Reese glanced at Clark and gestured to her ring finger.
Regarding the media uproar that ensued after Reese’s celebration, Clark offered thoughts in the Full Court Press docuseries that ESPN recently published.
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That’s the only thing people wanted to talk about when we just went on this magical run and united so many people, and that like was frustrating to me,’ Clark shared.
In response, Lisa Bluder, the coach at Iowa, added, “She [Clark] just wouldn’t let it happen.” The media was attempting to make a circus out of racial issues and to incite hatred.
Clark was clearly dissatisfied with the result and aired her dissatisfaction after the game.
‘I want my legacy to be the impact that I can have on young kids and the people in the state of Iowa,’ Clark said in her postgame press conference.
‘I hope I brought them a lot of joy this season. I hope this team brought them a lot of joy and I was just that young girl, so all you have to do is dream and you can be in moments like this. I’m a competitor. I wanna be in the National Title game again. It’s like you wanna end it the right way.’
Clark enjoyed a remarkable senior year for the Hawkeyes the next year, shattering the NCAA Division 1 basketball all-time scoring record. The achievement increased Clark’s popularity and increased awareness of women’s basketball.
In the Elite 8, Clark and Iowa also exacted revenge on Reese and LSU, winning 94-87 in a contest in which the shooter scored 41 points.
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