Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark reveals that she was 'frustrated' by the accusations against her fellow women's basketball player Angel Reese regarding the 'taunting' behavior.
Clark talks about the controversy in the new ESPN+ docuseriesFull Court Press,” which tracks the 2023-24 college women's basketball season of Clark, Kiki Rice, and Kamilla Cardoso, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the players.
Based on video clips shared on May 11 by Women Hooping, Clark mentions feeling frustrated about the 'taunting' accusations and how people focused on it despite their successful run and unifying impact. The 'taunting' accusations stemmed from a on-court gesture used by both Reese and Clark.
Caitlin Clark & Angel Reese Both Spoke About the Gestures in Post-Game Media Interviews
The controversy began when Reese, then playing for LSU, imitated a past celebration by Clark, as per the video.
According to Fox Sports,
Reese made the 'you can't see me' gesture toward Clark during an LSU-University of Iowa game, which was a signal made famous by wrestling star John Cena. She then pointed to her ring finger in reference to the championship ring she was about to win, and followed Clark around the basketball court during the final moments of the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament championship game, as reported by Fox Sports.
However, while Reese faced criticism, Fox Sports noted that Clark had also made the same Cena gesture in Iowa's Elite Eight win over Louisville when she achieved a 40-point triple-double. Some argued that criticizing Reese revealed a racial double standard because Clark did not face similar backlash when she made the same gesture in an earlier game, as per Fox Sports.
The 'Women Hooping' video begins with clips of the two women making the gestures, followed by an excerpt of Reese stating in a post-game media interview, 'I'm too hood; I'm too ghetto. Y'all told me that all year. But when other people do it, y'all don't say nothing.'
She continued, according to Fox Sports, 'So this is for the girls that look like me. That's going to speak up in what they believe in.'
The video then switches to a scene of Clark responding to a question from a reporter during a post-game media interview.
'There's a lot blowing up on Twitter about Angel Reese following you around, pointing to her ring finger, taunting you,' the unidentified journalist asks.
'Honestly, I have no idea. I was just trying to get to the handshake line and shake hands and be grateful that my team was in that position,' Clark says.
Iowa's Coach Says the Media Tried to 'Create a Circus Out of Racial Things'
Iowa coach Lisa Bluder also addressed the Reese controversy in the excerpts of the docuseries: '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,' she says.
After that, Clark expressed her frustration.
The video ends with Clark getting emotional in a post-game media interview.
“I would like to be remembered for the impact I can have on young children and the people in Iowa,” Clark says in the video. “I hope I have brought them a lot of happiness this season. I hope this team brought them a lot of joy. I was just a young girl, and all you have to do is dream, and you can be in moments like this.”
She said: “I am a competitive person. I want to be in the national championship game again. It’s like you want to end it the right way.”
“Full Court Press” began airing on May 11. According to ESPN+, “From a season of record-breaking moments to the WNBA draft, the four-episode series provides viewers with exclusive interviews, game footage, and more during what was a historic year for women’s college basketball.”
How and when can you watch it? On Friday, May 10, 2024, ESPN+ announced: “Episodes 1 and 2 will debut on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. ET, and Episodes 3 and 4 on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET. All four episodes will be shown on ABC and will be available for live streaming on the ESPN App. All episodes will be accessible on demand on ESPN+ after the initial broadcast.”
Caitlin Clark says she found the dispute over Angel Reese “taunting” her “frustrating.”
