Featured Image Credit: ESPN
Topics: Sport, Basketball, US News
Jake Massey
Louisiana State University (LSU) basketball player Angel Reese has been criticized for mocking Iowa's Caitlin Clark during their women's basketball championship game.
LSU clinched the match 102-85, and during the closing stages of the encounter, LSU's Reese took the opportunity to rub it in the face of Iowa's star player Clark.
Reese could be seen dropping John Cena's WWE 'you can't see me' hand gesture while staring at Clark, who had previously used the gesture as a celebration.
She also stared at Clark while pointing at her finger, indicating that she would be picking up a championship ring.
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As you might expect, the taunting proved to be divisive on social media.
Condemning Reese, former NFL quarterback Danny Kanell tweeted: "What a classless move by Angel Reese. Doing WAY too much to taunt Clark."
Another wrote: "This is about the worst display of sportsmanship you could ever expect to see from an athlete. This was personal and directed at a single individual in a taunting manner.
"She actually looked for her to do this. Just a bad look."
While a third agreed: "This is classless. Angel Reese is only 20, so she's still young, but taunting Caitlin Clark like this shows a pure lack of class.
"Win with class, lose with class, play with class."
However, there were many who saw nothing wrong with it, including none other than NBA legend LeBron James, who tweeted: "Love to see it."
So yeah, can't imagine Reese is going to let the criticism on social media get to her.
In fact, she stood by her taunting in a post-match press conference, highlighting the hypocritical way in which the behaviour of players is judged by fans and the press.
She said: "All year, I was critiqued for who I was.
"I don't fit the narrative. I don't fit the box that y'all want me to be in. I'm too hood. I'm too ghetto. Y'all told me that all year.
"When other people do it, and y'all don't say nothing... So this is for the girls that look like me.
"For those that want to speak up for what they believe in. It's unapologetically you. And that's what I [did] before tonight.
"It was bigger than me tonight. And Twitter is going to go into a rage every time."