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In the aftermath of the most-watched NCAA women's basketball title game in history, a 102-85 LSU victory over Iowa on Sunday, a lot of the focus shifted to a brief moment of gamesmanship near the very end.
LSU's Angel Reese pointed symbolically to her soon-to-be-adorned ring finger and, separately, mimicked Iowa star Caitlin Clark's "you can't see me" gesture from a previous game.
It was the sort of bravado and trash-talking that some might be unaccustomed to seeing in women's sports. Add in that Reese is Black and Clark is white, and there were plenty of reactions on social media that, at the very least, need to be examined in the context of racism and sexism — something I talked about at the end of Wednesday's Daily Delivery podcast.
Maybe those who were quick to criticize Reese were unaware that Clark had made the same gesture en route to the Final Four and had gained a reputation for a certain level of brashness. Maybe they knew it but didn't like it when Reese did it. Maybe they didn't like any outward display of pride from either player.
Even if we give full benefit of the doubt and leave space for interpretation, what is certain is this: The conversation made the focus veer off course. Instead of talking solely about Clark's tournament brilliance or LSU's near-perfect game, we had words and gestures to digest. When First Lady Jill Biden suggested Iowa should also be invited to the White House along with LSU, it went further astray.
Thankfully, Clark stepped up one more time.
"I don't think Angel should be criticized at all," Clark told ESPN on Tuesday. "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. We're all competitive. We all show our emotions in a different way. You know, Angel is a tremendous, tremendous player. I have nothing but respect for her."
Close the book on that one, right? What about Iowa going to the White House?
"That's for LSU," Clark said. "They should enjoy every single second of being the champion. I think that's theirs to do. I don't think runner-ups usually go to the White House. LSU should enjoy that moment for them. And congratulations, obviously; they deserve to go there."
Reese and LSU didn't need Clark's validation, but the game is better for it. We can and should have conversations about why Reese's gestures bothered some people, but not at the expense of overshadowing what happened on the court.
Clark didn't win a championship on Sunday — that was all LSU. But she won the day on Tuesday in a game she didn't have to play.
