Caitlin Clark Breaks Silence on Angel Reese Controversy

University of Iowa forward Caitlin Clark has spoken out on the criticism her recent championship opponent, Louisiana State University (LSU) forward Angel Reese, received for a hand gesture she displayed during Sunday's women's NCAA basketball tournament final.

LSU defeated Iowa in the highly anticipated game, which saw two of the collegiate league's star players in Clark and Reese face off. One moment from late in the game, however, dominated the conversation in the aftermath of the game: Reese flashing a waving hand gesture popularized by professional wrestler John Cena towards Clark.

Reese was subjected to a considerable amount of criticism from some observers, who derided the gesture "classless" and unsportsmanlike, despite many others perceiving it as a harmless and playful gesture among competitors. The conversation also sparked conversations about racial double standards. Clark, a white woman, used the gesture two games earlier in a winning bout against Louisville and was not subjected to such critiques that Reese, a Black woman, has.

On Tuesday, Clark broke her silence on the criticism that her opponent has been receiving, deriding it as unnecessary and praising Reese's ability during an interview with ESPN.

"I don't think Angel should be criticized at all," Clark said. "No matter what way it goes, she should never be criticized for what she did. I competed, she competed. It was a super, super fun game. I think that's what's going to bring more people to our game."

Newsweek reached out to the NCAA via its official inquiry form for comment.

The gesture Clark and Reese used, "You Can't See Me," involves waving one's hand in front their face while facing an opponent. It was popularized by Cena during his decade-spanning career as one of the most famous talents in WWE. In the wake of LSU's victory, Cena himself congratulated the team and made positive reference to Reese's use of his trademark gesture.

"Even if they could see you...they couldn't guard you!" Cena wrote in a tweet.

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden also became embroiled in the controversy surrounding the game after she proposed inviting both the University of Iowa and LSU teams to the White House, despite only the winning team traditionally receiving the invite. The move was viewed by many, including Reese and her LSU teammates, as perpetuating the double standard against her.

"I know we'll have the champions come to the White House; we always do. So, we hope LSU will come," the First Lady said on Monday. "But, you know, I'm going to tell Joe I think Iowa should come too, because they played such a good game."

In a tweet responding to the comments, Reese called the idea "A JOKE."