Poor sportsmanship or no big deal? Debate rages on after NCAA women’s title game

This incident generated a lot of discussion on Twitter and elsewhere

LSU's Angel Reese reacts in front of Iowa's Caitlin Clark during the second half of the NCAA Women's Final Four championship basketball game Sunday, April 2, 2023, in Dallas. LSU won 102-85 to win the championship. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) (Tony Gutierrez, Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

It was an incredible weekend for women’s sports in this country, but it also produced quite a heated debate.

This past weekend’s NCAA Women’s Final Four in basketball was a boon for women’s sports, with record audiences tuning in for Friday’s semifinals and Sunday’s national championship game between LSU and Iowa.

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Much of the reason even casual sports tuned in was to watch Iowa junior Caitlin Clark, who has developed into a national phenom and is already being talked about as someone with the potential to be the greatest women’s basketball player ever.

But it was LSU that got the best of Clark and Iowa, with the Tigers earning a 102-85 win.

However, that’s not what many were talking about after the game.

As the final seconds ticked off, LSU’s Angel Reese went over and taunted Clark, pointing to her fingers saying a championship ring was about to be put on it and doing the “You can’t see me” hand gesture made famous by professional wrestler John Cena.

Clark just seemed to look away during the display.

The incident sure sparked a heated debate on Twitter and elsewhere.

Some were outraged over the actions of Reese, saying she showed no class in victory.

However, others came to her defense, pointing out that Clark did the same “You can’t see me” gesture to a Louisville player earlier in the tournament.

To view that incident on Twitter, click or tap here.

Those defending Reese said nobody showed the same outrage when Clark did it, and that if Clark can dish it out, she should be able to take it, so to speak.

After the game, Reese told ESPN that Clark is a “hell of a player,” but felt Clark disrespected a teammate and also South Carolina players during a semifinal game on Friday, which prompted her taunting.

Clark didn’t discuss the incident publicly after the game, simply giving credit to LSU.

“They were tremendous,” said Clark, who isn’t eligible for this year’s WNBA Draft and will likely garner sellout arenas everywhere next year during her senior season. “They deserve it. They had a tremendous season.”

So, what side of this debate do you fall on?

Let us know in the comments below.


About the Author:

Keith is a member of Graham Media Group's Digital Content Team, which produces content for all the company's news websites.