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.
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 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:
." It's about time someone called out those hypocrites online 
. And btw, Keith Olbermann needs to take a chill pill 
.
, 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 
, and I'm all about that 
! Did you know 80% of the comments from the season had a negative tone? 
.
! 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 
anyway, gotta respect reese for owning it and not letting the haters bring her down 
!! 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! 
! 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?