Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark met in a NCAA championship game for the ages back in 2023.
The March Madness clash between LSU and Iowa set the tone for a media-based rivalry between two of the biggest stars in women’s basketball that has since extended into the WNBA.
Clark, last year’s No. 1 draft pick, has recently admitted the pair ‘are not best friends’, and it all appeared to stem from an incident two years ago.
Clark and Reese first met on the court on the Amateur Athletic Union circuit, playing for All Iowa Attack and Team Takeover, respectively.
The pair then went on to battle during Big Ten play in their first two college seasons, with Reese’s Maryland team defeating Clark’s Hawkeyes in all three meetings.
But things really started to heat up in 2023, when March Madness culminated in a game between Iowa and LSU.
Reese, who had transferred to Louisiana for her junior season, led the Tigers to their first national title by defeating the Hawkeyes 102–85.
She posted 15 points, ten rebounds and five assists in the final, and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
With an average of 9.9 million viewers, the clash between LSU and Iowa became the most-watched women’s college basketball game in history.
But what happened between Reese and Clark at the end of the game soon overshadowed the on-court action.
After leading LSU to their first national title, Reese hit Clark with John Cena’s ‘you can’t see me’ taunt, and also pointed to her ring finger to gesture her incoming national championship ring.
It was widely alleged at the time that Clark had made the same gesture to the opposite team earlier in the tournament, in Iowa’s Elite Eight game against Louisiana State.
The suggestion, though, was disputed by former LSU star Hailey Van Lith.
In a post-game interview, Reese claimed she taunted Clark because the Iowa star had previously ‘disrespected’ her teammate Alexis Morris, as well as the South Carolina Gamecocks.
“I was waiting,” she told ESPN.
“Caitlin Clark is a hell of a player for sure, but I don’t take disrespect lightly.
“She disrespected Alexis (Morris) and my girls, South Carolina, they’re my SEC girls too.
“Y’all not going to disrespect them either.
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“I wanted to pick her pocket, but I had a moment at the end of the game, and I was in my bag. I was in my moment.”
The disrespect Reese was alluding to was likely a viral moment in which Clark waved off Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson in Iowa’s 77-73 victory over South Carolina in the Final Four.
While Johnson had the ball at the top of the perimeter, Clark didn’t run up to defend her and instead waved her hand, appearing to dismiss the redshirt freshman as a non-threat from beyond the arc.
LSU players took issue with Iowa’s defensive game plan, and Morris had described it as ‘disrespectful’ in the build-up to the championship game.
While Reese shared her reasons for taunting Clark after the title win, she faced substantial criticism for her perceived unsportsmanlike behavior, and the media dubbed it the beginning of an on-court rivalry not unlike Magic Johnson and Larry Bird’s.
The 22-year-old, who now plays for the Chicago Sky, has seen that reputation follow her into the WNBA despite Clark coming out to defend her two years ago.
“I don’t think Angel should be criticized at all,” she said, days after the incident.
“I’m just one that competes, and she competed. I think everybody knew there was going to be a little trash talk in the entire tournament.
“It’s not just me and Angel.”
Reese and Clark both had a historic NCAA run, and they are now two of the brightest stars in the WNBA, having impressed in their rookie seasons.
Despite losing in the national championship game, Clark got her revenge a year later with an Elite Eight win, which saw Reese break down in tears afterward.
The pair are soon set to meet again in the first game of the 2025 campaign, when Clark’s Indiana Fever host Reese’s Chicago on May 17 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
How to watch March Madness in the UK
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March Madness is one of the most exciting times of the year for basketball fans, with a total of 68 teams battling it out to become the Division 1 college champions.
This year UConn have the chance to become only the second team ever to complete a March Madness three-peat, having emerged victorious for the last two years.
talkSPORT will have the latest news on the tournament, but for UK basketball fans the way to watch is through Sky Sports. The broadcaster will be showing EVERY March Madness game through their Sky Sports + streaming service.
Click here to sign up to a Sky Sports subscription, or read our article on the best Sky Sports deals available now.
