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

Angel Reese Fires Back at Critics Over 'You Can't See Me' Gesture

The LSU star's gesture, popularized by WWE star John Cena, sparked much debate after the Tigers' national title win.

Reese defended her actions in a press conference on Sunday, saying she doesn't take disrespect lightly. She pointed to the similar gesture Clark made earlier in the tournament and said it was unapologetically "you." Reese's actions were met with both praise and criticism on social media, but she remains unbothered.

The gesture has sparked debate over double standards, with some pointing out that Clark's similar action didn't receive the same level of backlash. However, not everyone is siding with Reese - former ESPN host Keith Olbermann called her an "idiot" for the gesture.

In a statement, Reese said, "I don’t fit the narrative." She added that she was critiqued all year and told she was too hood or ghetto to be in certain boxes. The 23-year-old forward believes she's speaking up for those who look like her.

Reese had 15 points and 10 rebounds in the Tigers' 102-85 victory, and won the Most Outstanding Player award. In a post-game interview, Clark said she didn't notice anything at the time and credited LSU head coach Kim Mulkey for coaching them well.

As for Reese's gesture, ESPN's Holly Rowe defended her on Twitter, saying people should celebrate confident young women rather than hating on them. Former NBA star Etan Thomas also weighed in, stating that double standards are at play.

Reese isn't concerned about what others think - she says Twitter can say what it wants to say and has all the screenshots of comments from throughout the season. She's focused on celebrating her team's national title win and looking forward to next season.

I gotta say, I'm low-key impressed by Angel Reese for speaking up like that . I mean, it's easy to get caught up in the drama online, but Reese is all about being confident and unapologetic . Her diagram of double standards would look something like this:
```
+---------------+
| Double |
| Standard |
| (BS) |
+---------------+
|
|
v
+---------------+
| Reese's |
| "You Can't |
| See Me" |
| Gesture |
+---------------+
```
Reese is like, "Hey, I'm not going to apologize for being myself and standing up for others who look like me ." It's about time someone called out those hypocrites online . And btw, Keith Olbermann needs to take a chill pill .

I'm thinking, the whole WWE thing was kinda cool , but like, Reese is totally right about double standards - you can't just pick and choose who gets roasted . I mean, if Clark made that gesture, should've gotten some heat too ? And what's up with Keith Olbermann calling out Reese like that? He's a total grump . But for real though, 70% of Twitter users () are supporting Reese and she's rocking her confident girl vibe . The most common response on social media is people saying "girl power" , and I'm all about that ! Did you know 80% of the comments from the season had a negative tone?

I don’t usually comment but… I feel like Angel Reese is totally owning this situation . People are saying she's being disrespected, but honestly it just seems like she's calling out all the people who have been hating on her and trying to box her into a certain narrative. And let’s be real, if Clark can do that gesture without getting roasted, why should Reese get the worst of it? It's not fair to say she's an "idiot" just because she's speaking truth. She's a confident young woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to show it . And honestly, I think she's right that people should be celebrating her instead of hating on her. She deserves all the praise and attention for being an amazing player and a strong voice for women of color .

lol at all these people making a big deal outta Angel Reese's gesture ... like, hello, it was just a playful way to show you can't see 'im ! shouldn't we be celebrating her and the whole LSU team for their sick win instead of tearing each other down? I mean, I saw some people saying she looked "hood" or "ghetto", that's just low ... what even is wrong with hating on someone who's just being confident & unapologetic about it? Reese seems like a solid person to me, and if the haters don't want to get along, they can just mute her

so i gotta say, i'm a bit torn about angel reese's whole thing with john cena's gesture she's like "i don't take disrespect lightly" but some ppl think she overreacted meanwhile, others are low-key salty they didn't get the same treatment from clark what i think is kinda cool tho is that reese's speaking up for herself and people who look like her it's not always easy to be confident in a world where ppl try to put you in boxes anyway, gotta respect reese for owning it and not letting the haters bring her down

omg this situation is getting so out of hand !! angel reese is literally standing up for herself and others like her and people are still hating on her? it's all about the double standards, you guys... some ppl can do whatever they want but reese gets called an idiot? no way, honey . i think it's beautiful that she's using her platform to speak up for those who might be marginalized or overlooked. we need more people like her!

omg I love how Angel Reese is owning this situation ! I mean, it's clear she didn't do anything wrong - she just used a gesture that some people are mad about, but others think is cool . And honestly, who cares what Keith Olbermann thinks? He can keep hating, but at the end of the day, Angel is still an amazing player and an inspiration to so many young women out there ! I also love how ESPN's Holly Rowe defended her on Twitter - she's speaking truth! And let's be real, some people are just mad because they can't relate or they're not used to seeing confident black women on top . Anyway, Angel Reese is a rockstar and I'm loving every minute of this !