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After two straight days of discourse about the trash-talking that LSU forward Angel Reese did during Sunday’s National Championship Game and Reese wisely capitalizing on her 15 minutes of fame, Iowa guard Caitlin Clark has hopefully put an end to the phenomenon with her recent comments on ESPN.
Speaking to the network on Tuesday, the star University of Iowa guard showed Reese nothing but respect in her comments, saying that the LSU Tiger does not “deserve criticism” for her behavior in the closing stages of the Women’s NCAA National Title game.
“I don’t think Angel should be criticized at all. No matter what way it goes, she should never be criticized for what she did. I compete, she competed,” Reese, who scored 30 points in the game, said to ESPN.
“It was a super, super fun game. I think that’s what’s going to bring more people to our game.”
In addition to her comments about Reese, Clark also shot down the suggestion from First Lady Jill Bide that the Hawkeyes should also visit the White House alongside the Tigers.
“I don’t think runner-ups usually go to the White House. I think LSU should enjoy that moment for them,” Reese added.
Neither Clark nor Reese is eligible for the 2023 WNBA Draft, which means they will be returning to Iowa and LSU, respectively, next season.
That’s certainly great news for the sport, as Sunday’s NCAA title final between Clark’s University of Iowa and Reese’s Louisiana State University racked in 9.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched game in the history of women’s college basketball.
In Sunday’s NCAA Championship, which saw the Tigers blow out the Hawkeyes by a score of 102-85, Clark posted 30 points, eight assists, and two rebounds, while Reese — who was named the Final Four’s most outstanding player — put up 15 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.