LSU standout Angel Reese brushed aside any notion of animosity between herself and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark as they gear up for a rematch in the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA women’s basketball tournament.
“It’s not personal,” Reese emphasized to reporters. “When we step onto the court, it’s all about the game. If I see you on the street, it’s like, ‘Hey, what’s up? Let’s hang out.’ People tend to think we’re enemies, but Caitlin Clark and I don’t harbor any ill will towards each other. It’s just intense competition.”
“Once the game starts, there are no friends,” the SEC Player of the Year added. “I’ll trash talk, do whatever it takes to get in your head throughout the game. But afterward, we can chill. People need to understand that.”
"I don't think Angel should be criticized at all."
Caitlin Clark said she thought Angel Reese received too much backlash for her celebrations during the championship game. (via @OTLonESPN) pic.twitter.com/i8tZyO8bai
— ESPN (@espn) April 4, 2023
Reese made headlines in the 2023 tournament when she celebrated LSU’s imminent national championship victory, gesturing towards Clark with a “you can’t see me” hand signal and pointing to her ring finger in the final moments. While Clark received positive attention for taunting Louisville’s Hailey Van Lith in a previous round, Reese faced criticism for what some perceived as lacking class or sportsmanship.
Despite attempts to manufacture a rivalry between Reese and Clark, the latter publicly dismissed the notion, suggesting it was much ado about nothing.
Clark praised the LSU team and the significant impact its players have had as Iowa secured a rematch with the reigning champions.
The upcoming matchup between Iowa and LSU will undoubtedly be filled with storylines, but Reese and Clark have made it clear that there’s no personal feud between them.
