Mar 31, 2024, 2:40 p.m. ET
ALBANY, NY — LSU’s Angel Reese said Sunday that she has no hard feelings toward Iowa’s Caitlin Clark as the two stars prepare for a rematch, this time in the Elite Eight.
Much has been made about the competitive fire and trash talk that both players display when they are on the court. But when Reese pointed his finger and made John Cena’s “You can’t see me” hand gesture toward Clark as LSU closed out its victory over Iowa in the national championship game last year, the discourse around both his trash talk as her relationship with Clark intensified.
Will Angel Reese and LSU repeat as national champions? Or could the ring be on the other finger, maybe even that of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark? Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Reese was asked once again Sunday about trash talking, particularly as it relates to what happened last year.
“I don’t think people realize it’s not personal,” Reese said. “Once we get out of the lines, if I see you walking down the street, it’s like, ‘Hey, girl, what’s up? Let’s hang out.’ I think people just take it as if we hate each other. Caitlin Clark and I don’t hate each other. I want everyone to understand that. It’s just a super competitive game. Once I get between those lines, there are no friends. I’m going to talk nonsense to you. I’m going to do whatever it takes to get inside your head throughout everything. the game, but after the game, we can relax. I don’t think people really realize that.
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“Okay. I’ll take the villain role. I’ll take the hit for it, but I know we’re growing women’s basketball. If this is the way we’re going to do it, then this is the way we’re going to do it. Whether you like it or not.”
Reese described her relationship with Clark as “super competitive,” noting that the two had been facing each other since high school and then again when Reese began her career at Maryland.
When asked about the way Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were always linked after facing off in the national championship game, and whether that applies to her and Clark, Reese said: “People compare that matchup all the time, “But I’ve never seen the matchup, so I’m not very familiar with it.”
Clark said he saw similarities in his game with Reese that gave them something in common.
“There’s definitely that competitive fire,” Clark said. “We both want to win more than anything, and that’s how it should be when you’re a competitor and you’re in a situation like this, whether it’s the national championship or the Elite Eight.
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“I think the main similarity is how competitive we are. We both grew up loving this game and we are going to do everything we can to help our teams win.”
If that includes a little trash talk, so be it.
“It’s part of the game,” LSU guard Hailey Van Lith said. “When you think about hockey and fighting, people like to see that. That’s not why we do it. It’s our personalities. It’s what makes the game fun for us. I think a lot of people enjoy it, obviously. , because women’s basketball is doing better than ever. You can choose to focus on the people who are saying bad things about it, but at the end of the day, they’re talking online for a reason.”
2024-03-31 18:40:00
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