Angel Reese defends gesture directed towards Caitlin Clark after LSU national title win; calls out double standard after being 'unapologetically' her

Angel Reese is speaking out after her gesture at the LSU national title win, saying it was a response to another player's earlier move - Iowa Hawkeyes' Caitlin Clark.

The star guard claimed she didn't take disrespect lightly and aimed to "pick her pocket" but had a moment of clarity when she looked in the mirror. Clark said she didn't notice anything unusual at the time of the gesture, according to reports.

Clark made a similar hand signal earlier in the tournament, prompting debate on social media. However, when Reese did it too, some took issue with the class and sportsmanship displayed by the LSU player.

ESPN's Holly Rowe and former NBA star Etan Thomas defended Reese, saying that people hating on her or Clark should stop and that unapologetically confident young women should be celebrated.

Reese said that the negative reaction throughout the season had fueled her excellent season, averaging 23.0 points and 15.4 rebounds in her first season with LSU after transferring from Maryland.

In response to Reese's actions, Clark said she was just trying to spend the last few moments on the court with her teammates.

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey also appeared clueless about what transpired during the game.

I'm so done with people judging each other like that . I mean Angel Reese did some kinda move and everyone's all up in arms about it, but honestly I think it was just a playful gesture . Caitlin Clark said she didn't even notice anything weird, and then Reese does the same thing and suddenly it's all about how Reese is "disrespectful" . Like what even happened? And why do people have to be so extra about it? I'm just glad both players are killing it on the court though, 23.0 points a game for Reese is NO JOKE .

omg I was rewatching that national title win and I'm still low-key impressed by Angel Reese's move she totally had a moment of clarity when she looked in the mirror, it's like she realized she wasn't gonna let some hand signal bring her down I mean Caitlin Clark's gesture might've been a coincidence, but Reese's response was pure fire and honestly it showed a level of maturity that not all players your age can pull off people are hating on them saying they're being "classless" or whatever but Reese just kept on slaying the court she proved that with confidence comes respect, and if you can't handle a little bit of sass from an unapologetic young woman, maybe you should reevaluate your priorities

I'm low-key impressed by Angel Reese's confidence and unapologetic response to Caitlin Clark's move . I get why some people might think it was rude, but honestly, who hasn't gotten into a bit of trash talk with their opponents before? It's all part of the game. And if anyone thought Reese was copying Clark, that's just misreading the situation . I'd rather see more players like Reese and Clark, who aren't afraid to show some attitude on the court but still manage to keep it classy . The hate is so extra ! Can we just celebrate their awesome basketball skills instead?

omg i'm still in shock about this whole thing angel reese is literally a legend! i love how she stood up for herself and didn't let anyone bring her down and honestly, caitlin clark's response just shows how classy she is like, who tries to spend the last moments on court with their teammates when they can be getting hate online? also espn and etan thomas giving reese a shoutout for being confident is much needed we need more of that kind of positivity in sports!

OMG what is wrong with people?! Angel Reese was just owning it out there and getting that W and all these ppl can't even handle a little gesture Caitlin Clark's reaction was literally just her trying to cherish those final moments on the court . It's not like Reese did anything malicious! And btw, who does Iowa think they are? Reese's "pickpocket" move was EVERYTHING and I'm so here for it . ESPN is speaking truth when they say we need to celebrate these unapologetic queens .

idk why people are making a big deal out of this ... angel reese did that hand signal first and ppl are like "oh she was trying to throw shade"... meanwhile clark's squad is just mad 'cause they're salty about losing & honestly i think reese's reaction is kinda relatable? when you look in the mirror and see a baller staring back at u, do what you feel lol

I'm loving Angel Reese's vibe! She took a situation that could've been negative and turned it into fuel for an amazing season. That mirror moment was everything! It shows us that even when we feel disrespected or provoked, we have the power to choose how we respond. Instead of letting negativity get her down, she picked herself up and slayed on the court. Caitlin Clark might've done the same gesture earlier, but Reese's reaction was what made it go viral - and for all the right reasons! Let's celebrate these young women who aren't afraid to speak their minds and be themselves, even if that means doing something that sparks a conversation.

omg i feel like clark and reese both did that gesture lol idk who was trying to one-up who but honestly cant we just celebrate their awesomeness instead of bashing each other? reese is literally a beast on the court averaging 23 points per game wow! and i love that she said it was all about confidence meanwhile clark just wants to chill with her teammates after the game idk what's the big deal...oh wait, maybe its because people think reese was trying to steal the spotlight? anyway, cant we just let them have their moment in the sun?

I don’t usually comment but... I think Angel Reese was totally right in responding to Caitlin Clark’s gesture, you feel? I mean, I know some people were saying she was trying to copy her or whatever, but honestly, it just seemed like a weird vibe at first. But then I thought about it and realized that Clark did the same thing earlier in the tournament, so Reese wasn’t entirely out of line . And yeah, people hating on her for not apologizing or something is just, like, unfair. She was trying to stand up for herself and celebrate being an awesome player, which, tbh, more power to her ! I don’t know what’s going on with coaches sometimes, but Kim Mulkey should have been able to fill in the blanks about what happened during that game .

omg u guys, i cant even believe ppl are hating on angel reese!!! like seriously, she did something that was just a lil gesture of sportsmanship and ppl think its a big deal?! clark made the same move earlier in the tournament and nobody said anything but when reese does it too, suddenly its a huge issue?

i mean i get it, ppl love to talk and drama makes for good tv, but like let's be real, both of these players are amazing on the court and they deserve our respect, not our judgment. espn said it best - why r we still hating on confident young women who just wanna celebrate their wins?

and to add insult to injury, clark claims she was just trying to spend time with her teammates which is so weak compared to reese's move. at least reese made a point about not taking disrespect lightly and standing up for herself, unlike some people who would rather just sit there and collect their paycheck

anyway, i'm gonna keep rooting for angel reese no matter what

So this is what happens when we prioritize winning over sportsmanship . It's like they're saying, "Hey, I'm gonna do whatever it takes to come out on top, even if it means crossing a line or disrespecting my opponent." And then the media goes and sensationalizes it, turning a simple gesture into a scandal. Meanwhile, Reese is just trying to fuel her passion for basketball while being scrutinized by everyone around her . I mean, can't we just celebrate these young women's accomplishments without tearing them down? It's all about the optics now. How many times have we seen this play out before? Is it really that hard to promote class and respect in sports?

Wow I mean, who knew it was a thing where you can "pick someone's pocket" in basketball? Interesting how some ppl got upset w/ Angel Reese's gesture though... Maybe ppl just didn't realize Clark did it first and thought Reese copied her or something?

OMG you guys! Angel Reese is totally slaying the haters after her iconic gesture at the LSU national title win ! I'm literally living for it ! The fact that people thought she was being disrespectful is just crazy to me . Caitlin Clark might not have seen anything unusual, but Reese knew what she did was fire ! It's all about confidence and owning the moment . And can we talk about how strong these young women are? Both Reese and Clark are killing it on the court ! Let's give them some props for being unapologetically themselves #TeamReese #LSU #WomenInSports #ConfidenceIsKey

I FEEL LIKE ANGEL REESE GETS A BAD RAP HERE AND IT JUST DOESNT MAKE SENSE TO ME, SHE WAS JUST TRYING TO BE CONFIDENT AND UNAPOLOGETIC AND THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW PEOPLE ARE CRITICIZING HER FOR IT. CAITLIN CLARK MIGHT NOT HAVE NOTICED ANYTHING BUT I DUNNO, SEEMS LIKE REESE JUST WANTED TO SHOW UP CLARK IN THE END AND IT BACKFIRED, WHICH IS A Bummer

I'm kinda fascinated by this whole situation ... I mean, Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark both pulled off that same hand gesture, but it sparked a huge debate on social media. To be honest, I think it's a bit weird how some people jumped at it as if Reese was trying to disrespect Clark or something . But, like, have you seen the way they both played on that court? Unbelievable!

And, omg, Etan Thomas and Holly Rowe are totally right - we should be celebrating these young women's confidence and athleticism, not tearing them down . I mean, Reese's season was insane, averaging 23 points and 15 rebounds in her first year with LSU... that's some next-level stuff .

It's also interesting to see how different people perceive the same thing - Clark said she was just trying to spend time with her teammates, while Reese claimed it was a response to another player's earlier move . And what's up with LSU's coach Kim Mulkey being clueless about the whole thing? ... anyway, I think we can all agree that these players are absolute rockstars ️.

OMG I'm so done with people thinking Angel Reese did something wrong ! I mean Caitlin Clark is a superstar and all but come on, she's not going to notice another girl giving her that hand signal? And then for people to be salty about Reese copying her move? Girl bye, if you can't handle the heat, stay out of the court ! I love how ESPN and Etan Thomas came to Reese's defense tho, let's celebrate these unapologetic young women who are killing it on the court

im not surprised ppl r calling out Angel Reese for that gesture tho its funny how people think thats some kinda low move but honestly if i was in her shoes idve done the same thing irl ppl dont like it when we show confidence but im all about celebrating unapologetic womens in sports right now

I think it's weird that people are so mad at Angel Reese for doing that gesture... I mean, isn't sportsmanship supposed to be all about having fun and being a good sport? Caitlin Clark was just trying to say goodbye to her teammates, but then everyone started hating on Reese too. It feels like she's the one who messed up here . And honestly, I don't get why people are so quick to judge her - it's just a gesture! And for all those defending Clark and saying that Reese is being classless... isn't that kinda the opposite of what we want in sports? We should be celebrating confidence and having fun, not tearing each other down .

I gotta say, I'm kinda confused by all this drama ... like, Angel Reese did that gesture at the LSU national title win and people are hating on her for it? I get it, maybe some folks didn't appreciate the gesture, but come on, it's just a little hand signal! And then Caitlin Clark does the same thing earlier in the tournament and everyone's giving her a pass? ... I think ESPN's got a point though - we should be celebrating these young women's confidence and unapologetic awesomeness . It's not about disrespect, it's about showing respect for each other on and off the court ... and honestly, who are we to judge what goes through their minds? ... maybe Reese was just feeling some kind of magic that day ️... anyway, I'm rooting for both these players and teams - let's focus on the game, not the drama .