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Caitlin Clark revealed her initial reaction to the viral celebration from former LSU star Angel Reese during their championship game showdown in 2023.
In the Tigers‘ 102-85 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes, Reese memorably did WWE legend John Cena‘s ‘U Can’t See Me’ gesture in front of Clark – which the latter previously did in a game against Louisville. Additionally, Reese looked at Clark and pointed at her ring finger late in the fourth quarter.
In ESPN’s recently released Full Court Press docuseries, Clark shared her thoughts on the media storm that followed Reese’s celebration.
‘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.
Iowa coach Lisa Bluder also chimed in on the subject, saying: ‘The media was trying to create a circus out of racial things, out of trying to make hatred come up, and she [Clark] just wouldn’t let it happen.’
After the game, a visibly disappointed Clark expressed her frustration with the outcome.
‘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.’
The following year, Clark had a historic senior season for the Hawkeyes, breaking the all-time scoring record in NCAA Division 1 basketball. The feat elevated Clark’s stardom and brought much attention to women’s basketball.
Additionally, Clark and Iowa got their revenge against Reese and LSU in a 94-87 win in the Elite 8 – a game that saw the sharpshooter score 41 points.
Clark and Iowa appeared in another title game in 2024 after beating LSU in the Elite 8
Clark and Reese were picked first and seventh in the 2024 WNBA Draft in April
The Hawkeyes appeared in their second straight title game before losing to South Carolina, 75-87.
Nevertheless, Clark became the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever. In the same class, Reese was selected by the Chicago Sky with the seventh pick.
‘Honestly, I had no idea,’ Clark added about Reese’s celebration in 2023. ‘I was just trying to get to the handshake line and be grateful that my team was in that position.’
