Caitlin Clark wants to put a stop to the criticism Angel Reese has received this week.
The Iowa star was a bright spot in the women’s March Madness tournament, but the Hawkeyes fell to Reese’s LSU Tigers in the championship game over the weekend. Reese then hit Clark with the latter’s “you can’t see me” celebration and pointed to her ring finger before the final buzzer sounded.
Reese has drawn a slew of criticism for her actions, but Clark doesn’t believe her opponent deserves any of it and that it’s just part of Reese’s competitive nature.
“I don’t think Angel should be criticized at all,” Clark told ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap during a “SportsCenter” interview Tuesday. “No matter what way it goes, she should never be criticized for what she did. I compete, she competed. … We’re all competitive. We all show our emotions in a different way.
“Angel’s a tremendous, tremendous player. I have nothing but respect for her. I love her game, the way she rebounds the ball, scores the ball is absolutely incredible. I’m a big fan of her. Even the whole LSU team, the way they played. I don’t think there should be any criticism for what she did.”
Clark added she hasn’t been on social media since the championship game, so she hadn’t seen the scrutiny Reese has faced. Though Reese seems unbothered by it all as she enjoys her national championship, Clark wants players to be able to celebrate how they see fit.
“That should never be torn down or never be criticized. I believe that’s what makes this game so fun,” Clark told Schaap. “That’s what draws people to this game … You should be able to play with that emotion. That’s what makes it so fun.”
Both Reese and Clark put on a show for their respective schools and will return to the college court next season for what’s sure to be another entertaining year.
