A Double Standard in Women’s Basketball
How Angel Reese took the world by storm
By Zoe Meyer with art by Zoe Meyer
The NCAA Women’s basketball tournament had record breaking attention this year with stars like Catlin Clark of Iowa putting up the first ever 40 point triple-double in division one tournament history (men or women’s). Clark showed dominance in her stats, but also in her infamous trash talking towards other teams. In games Clark waved her hand in front of her face in a tribute to John Cena’s ‘you can’t see me’ taunt, and waved off players she was guarding insinuating they don’t even deserve the respect of her defense.
Controversy arose when following LSUs victory over Iowa in the final, Angel Reese, LSU star, taunted Clark by mimicking Clark’s hand waving and pointing to her own ring finger where shortly the championship ring would be placed. Unlike commentary on Clark, posts on social media called Reese “classless” and “disrespectful” for her actions.
Why is taunting and trash talking acceptable when a white player like Clark does it, but not when a Black player does the exact same thing? Why are men excused or even celebrated for their “passion” in games, but the same privilege is not extended to the women's game?
Leading up to the final game, LSU stated that they did not like the way Clark was playing or acting towards other teams and they were determined to shut her down. After doing exactly that, keeping Clark to 31 points and beating Iowa by almost twenty, why is Reese chastised for celebrating that enormous feat?
In a post game interview Reese said, "I don't fit the narrative. I don't fit in a box that y'all want me to be in. I'm too hood. I'm too ghetto. Y'all told me that all year. But when other people do it, y'all say nothing," she added. "So this was for the girls that look like me”.