Angel Reese got caught up in the whirlpool that seems to roll in a different direction every hour.
BATON ROUGE, La. – Angel Reese says she has no issues with Caitlin Clark, absolutely loves her coach Kim Mulkey but still not sure if she wants to go to the White House to visit the Bidens.
Reese, who has come under more scrutiny than perhaps any winning athlete in the nearly three days since winning a national championship with LSU, spoke to the I Am Athlete podcast in an episode that debuted Tuesday.
Reese has been in a whirlwind since she made the hand gesture, which was heard “around the world.” Her pursuit of Clark on court with the “You can’t see me” hand gesture Clark had used days earlier in the tournament, followed by a pointing to her ring finger, was immediately attacked by some critics, including longtime athletes, on social media Commentator Keith Olbermann uses vulgarity by calling her a “damn idiot”.
Backfire came as well, with supporters pointing out that Reese was merely doing what Clark had been doing — although she was taking more time to make sure she was watching — and what male players do all the time.
Reese got caught in the whirlpool that seems to roll in a different direction every hour.
Among those backing Reese is Clark, who said the LSU star shouldn’t be given slingshots and darts.
“I don’t think Angel should be criticized at all. No matter what the outcome, she should never be criticized for what she has done. I compete, they compete,” Clark said in an interview with ESPN.
“I don’t think Angel should be criticized at all.”
Caitlin Clark said she thinks Angel Reese received too much backlash for her celebrations during the championship game. (above @OTLonESPN) pic.twitter.com/i8tZyO8bai
— ESPN (@espn) April 4, 2023
Reese confirmed the same on the Athlete podcast.
“There’s no beef. There is actually no beef at all.”
Reese said she was even more upset that Clark was allowed to trash talk her while she knew she had been confronted. White players who talk trash are seen as competitors, she said, while black players are labeled “loud and ghetto.”
She said she planned what she’ll say after the game so as not to apologize and try to speak up for women and girls who “look like her,” and she said she and her teammates noticed when her SEC teammate South Carolina was categorized as a “bar fighter” prior to their own game with Iowa.
But while Reese has no arguments with Clark, she does have one with America’s first lady and her suggestion that both Iowa and LSU visit the White House. While that thought has been rolled back and President Joe Biden has only invited the Tigers, Reese feels the damage has been done.
“I just know if the roles were reversed it wouldn’t be the same. If we lost, we wouldn’t be invited to the White House.”
She said Coach Kim Mulkey worked on the phones to relieve the tension and she got off the “we’re not coming, period” attitude.
“Let’s see,” she put it, but also explained that she would not accept any apologies.
“You can’t undo certain things you say.”
Reese has strong opinions and is playing for someone – legendary coach Kim Mulkey – who isn’t holding back either. Mulkey isn’t for everyone, but Reese says she has nothing but love for her coach.
“She loves us the way we are,” Reese said. “I couldn’t have a voice like that (before) and I knew my coach had my back. She has a team full of black women standing behind her. I love Kim Mulkey.”
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