LSU's Angel Reese Explains Gestures to Iowa's Caitlin Clark: 'I Was in My Moment'
Apr 3, 2023
DALLAS, TEXAS - APRIL 02: Angel Reese #10 of the LSU Lady Tigers reacts towards Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes during the fourth quarter during the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament championship game at American Airlines Center on April 02, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
There may be no other player in the country more unapologetically herself or that has more swagger than LSU's Angel Reese. So, as the clock winded down during the Tigers' first national championship Sunday, the Bayou Barbie was ready to let the world hear about it.
And her main target was Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark, who is quite the trash-talker herself.
In the closing seconds of the game Reese hit the National Player of the Year with John Cena's "You can't see me" celebration and tapped the finger where her championship ring will eventually be.
Clark actually used the celebration in Iowa's win over Louisville in the Elite Eight.
Naturally, there were more than a few people criticizing Reese for the taunts, but the tournament's Most Outstanding Player was ready to defend herself postgame while giving Clark her props.
"Caitlin Clark is a hell of a player, for sure," Reese said. "But ... I was in my bag. I was in my moment."
Reese was in her bag throughout the entirety of the Tigers' championship run, having a double-double in each of her team's games in the tournament. She finished with 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds against the Hawkeyes.
Sunday's game wasn't the first time that Reese has run into some sort of criticism for being braggadocious on the court. It's been a running theme for most of the season.
And she was rightfully ready to address her haters after being the catalyst of LSU's first basketball title, men or women's.
"All year, I was critiqued for who I was. I don't fit the narrative," Reese said. "I don't fit the box that y'all want me to be in. I'm too hood. I'm too ghetto. Y'all told me that all year. When other people do it, and 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's unapologetically you. And that's what I [did] before tonight. It was bigger than me tonight. And Twitter is going to go into a rage every time."
Angel Reese Named 2023 Women's Final Four Most Outstanding Player As LSU Wins Title
Apr 2, 2023
DALLAS, TEXAS - APRIL 02: Angel Reese #10 of the LSU Lady Tigers reacts during the fourth quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament championship game at American Airlines Center on April 02, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Angel Reese held it down in March (and April).
The LSU forward was named the NCAA women's tournament Most Outstanding Player Sunday after the Tigers beat Iowa, 102-85, to win a national championship.
Angel Reese has been named Most Outstanding Player for the 2023 NCAA Tournament 👸🏆 pic.twitter.com/TRBLh0Cpn7
Reese, a sophomore, was superb in the tourney, averaging 21.3 points and 15.2 rebounds per game. She put up 15 points and 10 rebounds in the championship game, setting an NCAA record with her 34th double-double of the season.
She also provided a few of the most iconic images of the season, celebrating LSU's win with a bit of sauce directed at Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark:
Clark, for her part, still put up 30 points and eight assists in the loss, hitting 8-of-19 attempts from three. It was a valiant effort as she battled through foul trouble.
But the day belonged to Reese and the Tigers.
"It's no one-man show around here," Reese said after the game. "When I go down, the next man is up. Every time I go out, or Alexis [Morris] goes out, everybody always steps up. "Sa'Myah [Smith] came in as a freshman. Jasmine Carson! Are you telling me 21 points in the first half? That's what we needed from her, and I'm super excited and happy for this team."
"It's no one-man show around here."
Angel Reese was proud of her whole team en route to their title win 💍
"Nobody thought we were gonna be here," Reese said. "Nobody. As long as we believed in each other...I don't even know what to say right now. I'm just so happy."
She's now a champion. And the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. And a player who will probably go down in the annals of basketball trash talk after the "you can't see me" gesture.
Not a bad day at the office for Reese.
LSU Tops Caitlin Clark, Iowa for WCBB Title as Fans Rip 'All-Around Awful' Refs
Apr 2, 2023
DALLAS, TX - APRIL 02: Jasmine Carson #2 and Angel Reese #10 of the Louisiana State Tigers celebrate a three-point goal against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament National Championship at American Airlines Center on April 2, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Caitlin Clark dominated the spotlight entering the 2023 NCAA women's basketball tournament, but the referees stole the show as LSU beat Iowa 102-85 for the program's first national championship on Sunday at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
The two teams combined for 37 fouls across the 40 minutes. Monika Czinano fouled out in the fourth quarter, while Clark battled foul trouble all game. The same was true for Angel Reese and LaDazhia Williams for LSU.
In general, the consensus on social media was that the officiating didn't influence the outcome but hurt the final contest as a spectacle in what was a great tournament all around.
This is just all-around awful. I’m not saying the star players should get preferential treatment but the ultra-strict officiating has turned this game into a shell of what it could have been.
shout to the refs for ruining the finale to one of the most hyped up final fours in women’s basketball history.
(this is not a knock on the current outcome, LSU is playing an incredible game. but we wanna see the best players have the freedom to play regardless of who wins)
on Friday, the NCAA’s vp of women’s basketball Lynn Holzman accidentally joked that the tournament didn’t have qualified officiating, and then quickly walked it back. After this afternoon though…
LSU's performance will be remembered the most as time goes on.
Reese recorded 15 points and 10 rebounds to earn an NCAA record-setting 34th double-double this season. The sophomore forward impacted every facet of the game through her scoring, rebounding, defense and playmaking.
Jasmine Carson also had one of the best halves of basketball ever on this grand a stage. She went 5-of-5 from beyond the arc and dropped 21 points as LSU shredded Iowa's defense in the opening 20 minutes.
The senior guard's buzzer-beating triple was the perfect capper to the Tigers' scintillating start.
In the end, LSU simply overwhelmed Iowa. The Hawkeyes were in trouble when Clark had 14 points in the first quarter and they still trailed 27-22. She finished with 30 on 9-of-22 shooting and eight assists.
Outside of a brief flurry in the third quarter, this wasn't much of a game.
Sunday is exactly why LSU hired Kim Mulkey away from Baylor and brought her back to the state she grew up in. University administrators may not have expected the 60-year-old to deliver a title by her second season, though. The Tigers exceeded expectations in 2021-22, and the addition of Reese through the transfer portal put them over the top.
Considering most of LSU's key players are coming back to Baton Rouge, a return trip to the Final Four could be on the cards in 2024.
Women's Tournament 2023: Championship Preview after Final Four Scores
Apr 1, 2023
DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 31: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes reacts after a three point basket during the fourth quarter against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game at American Airlines Center on March 31, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
A phenomenal pair of Final Four matchups has resulted in LSU and Iowa earning berths to the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament championship game on Sunday at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
LSU outscored Virginia Tech 29-13 in the fourth quarter to turn a 59-50 deficit into a 79-72 win behind 27 points from Alexis Morris and a 24-point, 12-rebound outing from Angel Reese.
Meanwhile, the Caitlin Clark Show has rolled on after the superstar guard posted 41 points, eight assists and six rebounds in Iowa's 77-73 upset win over reigning national champion and previously undefeated South Carolina.
Clark scored or assisted on every single point in the fourth quarter, and she is the first person to score 40 or more points in back-to-back games in the tournament. Her 41 points were the most in a national semifinal in men's or women's tourney history.
Now LSU and Iowa will square off in an intriguing matchup featuring the game's greatest player in Clark, a megastar in her own right in Reese and a host of other talented players who have shone in March.
The Lady Tigers are great on both ends. LSU is fourth in both offensive and defensive efficiency this season, per Sports Reference.
The Lady Tigers are led by Reese, a 6'3" forward who has posted 23.2 points and 15.7 rebounds per game, which ranks second in Division I.
She has been nothing short of dominant all season, and that continued Friday with a 24-point, 12-rebound, three-steal outing.
In theory, LSU's size and rebounding ability should cause problems for Iowa, even though the Hawkeyes were able to overcome that Friday (more on that in a second). LaDazhia Williams, a 6'4" forward, averages 6.0 boards per game and should present issues down low as well.
Scoring shouldn't be a problem if Morris, LSU's second-leading scorer, keeps it rolling.
The senior guard isn't leaving the floor these days either, sitting just one minute over the last four games. On Friday, Morris scored 10 of her 27 points in the fourth quarter.
Morris has been sensational in the last two games, posting 21 points and four steals in a 54-42 win over Miami in the Elite Eight.
The X-factor for LSU here is first-year guard Flau'jae Johnson.
This has been a tournament to forget for Johnson, who has shot just 9-of-39 from the field in five games.
However, Johnson entered Friday shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 33.7 from deep, and she's had some monster performances for LSU, including a 26-point game against Kentucky and a 27-point, 10-rebound, six-steal outing against Northwestern State in the regular season. If she gets going on Sunday, then LSU could win this running away.
On paper, LSU can crush Iowa on the boards and overpower the Hawkeyes.
Herein lies the problem: South Carolina out-rebounded Iowa 49-25. But it didn't matter because Clark was tremendous and the Iowa defense held USC to 39.0 percent shooting and 4-of-20 from three-point range.
Iowa's defense hasn't been good this year (207th in defensive rating, per Sports Reference), but it doesn't have to be great when the team sports the No. 2 offense. The offense has the potential to overpower any defensive or rebounding/size deficiencies it faces against other elite teams.
Clark has received most of the attention and rightfully so, but Iowa forward Monika Czinano has been amazing in her own right. Despite sitting some in the second half Friday with foul trouble, she finished with 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting along with three steals. The Clark-Czinano connection is a serious problem for all teams.
The X-factors here are a trio of good three-point shooters who can get hot and change the game on a dime in McKenna Warnock, Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall.
Iowa didn't need the three-ball to fall much Friday (7-of-23, with Clark going 5-of-17), but that's been a weapon for the Hawkeyes at multiple points in March.
Marshall had five of them in a gutty 74-66 win over Georgia in the second round. Marshall and Warnock each had three against Louisville in the 97-83 Elite Eight victory.
Overall, the LSU-Iowa matchup looks like it'll be a closely contested game. Perhaps Clark will put a bow on her historical run with a national title, or maybe the double-double machine in Reese will be too much for Iowa down low.
Ultimately, this has the potential to be an instant classic. The game will air on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET. ABC will televise the final.
Watch March Madness Live to stream every tournament game through the Final Four.
Kim Mulkey Hired as LSU WCBB Head Coach; Led Baylor to 3 National Championships
Apr 25, 2021
Baylor coach Kim Mulkey yells out to the team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Texas Tech, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Brad Tollefson)
LSU has tasked Kim Mulkey with making the Tigers a national champion again.
The school announced Sunday it hired Mulkey as its women's basketball coach, bringing an end to her wildly successful spell at Baylor.
"Kim Mulkey is a champion and a Hall of Famer, and we are thrilled to welcome her home," athletic director Scott Woodward said. "Her accomplishments are unprecedented, her passion is unrivaled, and her commitment to winning in all aspects of life—in the classroom, on the court, and in the community—is unparalleled. We look forward to working with her as she instills that championship culture at LSU."
Baylor Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mack B. Rhoades IV issued a statement about the 58-year-old's departure:
"We are grateful for the more than two decades Kim Mulkey poured into building Baylor women's basketball to one of the nation's premier programs. Coach Mulkey's sustained success is one of the most remarkable runs in college basketball history, and her accomplishments are worthy of the Naismith Hall of Fame induction she'll experience later this year."
Rhoades went on to say a search for a new head coach is already underway.
Rumors linking Mulkey to the LSU vacancy gained steam in recent days. The university confirmed Saturday that Nikki Fargas was resigning, with the Associated Press' Doug Feinberg reporting April 16 she was in discussions to take over as the Las Vegas Aces' team president.
Mulkey was also a star at Louisiana Tech after having grown up in the state, so this represents a return home for the legendary head coach.
Still, it remains a bit of a surprise to see Mulkey leave behind a program she helped turn into a powerhouse. When Mulkey arrived ahead of the 2000-01 season, the Lady Bears hadn't reached the NCAA tournament once. They proceeded to make the Final Four on four occasions and win three national titles, the most recent of which came in 2019.
While serving as AD at Texas A&M, Woodward handed Jimbo Fisher a 10-year, $75 million contract to help get the Aggies to the next level on the gridiron. Bringing Mulkey to Baton Rouge shows a similar level of intent.
LSU made five straight Final Fours from 2004 to 2008, with Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles playing starring roles for the Tigers. Since then, the program has yet to return to those heights, only advancing to the Sweet 16 in 2013 and 2014. The Tigers reached a low point in 2020-21 as they went 9-13 and finished eighth in the loaded SEC.
The 2,036 fans LSU averaged per game in 2019-20 illustrated the general lack of buzz around the team. South Carolina, by comparison, had an NCAA-high 12,218 fans at its games.
Mulkey will need a few years to make the Tigers relevant on a national scale again, but her arrival provides an immediate boost.
