LSU’s Angel Reese faces criticism for her gesture during the NCAA women’s basketball championship game, despite her team winning their first-ever national championship. Reese’s hand gesture was directed at Caitlin Clark, the Iowa Hawkeyes’ leading scorer, who had made the same gesture earlier in the tournament. Critics have deemed the move unsportsmanlike, but many are questioning why Clark was praised for the same gesture while Reese was criticized for it. Experts say that the difference in treatment is due to racial and gender bias against Black women. Reese, who proudly declared that her championship game performance was for other women who look like her, has been the target of double standards throughout the season. North Carolina State University Professor Joy Gaston Gayles says that Reese’s treatment is a clear example of anti-Blackness and misogynoir: a unique type of violence experienced by Black women at the intersection of racism, sexism, and anti-Blackness. Despite the backlash, Reese defended her gesture, saying, “I don’t take disrespect lightly.” Women’s basketball has also garnered record-breaking audiences this season, with the NCAA women’s basketball Final Four being the most-watched in the event's history. The championship game was a watershed moment for the sport’s popularity.
LSU's historic win at the 2023 NCAA women's basketball tournament is being overshadowed by critics who are unfairly targeting Angel Reese, one of the team's star players. Following LSU's 102-85 victory over the University of Iowa, Reese's taunting gesture towards Iowa's leading scorer Caitlin Clark during the game has been criticized by many as unsportsmanlike. However, what's not being discussed is that Clark had made the same gesture during a previous game, and the move was not met with the same level of criticism. Several experts in sports and society, including North Carolina State University Professor Joy Gaston Gayles, believe that the different reactions to Clark and Reese's behavior is an example of anti-Blackness and misogynoir: a unique type of violence experienced by Black women at the intersection of racism, sexism, and anti-Blackness. Reese proudly declares that her championship win is not just for herself but for other women who look like her. |
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