During the closing stages of the fourth quarter in the 2023 NCAA women's championship game, the Louisiana Tigers looked set for a victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes. LSU's Angel Reese made sure to rub that fact in the face of Iowa's Caitlin Clark by waving her hand in a "you can't see me" gesture made famous by WWE superstar John Cena. Reese also went ahead and pointed her finger to tell Clark where the championship was headed. Reese may have won that championship, but it came at a cost.
The publicized villain
Much of the discussion after that championship game wasn't the fact that LSU just won their first-ever championship; it was at the trash-talking dished out to the future WNBA number 1 pick Clark, the next big thing in women's basketball.
As such, the entire media criticized Reese in the WNBA. She has remained strong until she hit the breaking point following a recent post on X.
"For the past 2 years, the media has benefited from my pain & me being villainized to create a narrative," Reese wrote in an X post. "They allowed this. This was beneficial to them. I sometimes share my experiences of things that have happened to me but I've also allowed this to happen to me for way too long and now other players in this league are dealing with & experiencing the same things."
After facing numerous backlash for her actions, the 22-year-old made it clear that she would embrace the villain role if it meant that the women's game would get more attention. But the hate she is receiving seems too hot to handle.
Hate beyond the game
Reese probably knew what was coming when she made that gesture. She knew that she wouldn't be treated the best. However, there are certain limits one can only take. Of course, the media could criticize a player based on what they do on or off the court. But most fans make things extreme, especially on the internet, where no one knows who is at the end of most posts or hate tweets. Angel has even faced numerous death threats.
"This isn't ok at all. Anything beyond criticism about playing the game we love is wrong. I'm sorry to all the players that have/continue to experience the same things I have…. This is why I started my podcast," the WNBA star continued.
"To take my voice back and create the narrative of who I really am. At the end of the day, I don't want an apology nor do I think this will ever stop but something has to change," she added.
The rookie has had a decent season, drafted No. 7 by the Chicago Sky. But it seems that everything she does has been overshadowed by the Indiana Fever superstar, and Reese has to deal with everyone constantly reminding her that she is always "second."
Related: "People have made AI pictures of me, like, naked" - Angel Reese reveals she received death threats from Caitlin Clark fans
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