Louisiana State University basketball player Angel Reese has been bullied since the 2023 national championship
Women’s basketball has never been more popular, which is great for the sport, but comes with the seemingly inevitable downside of its players receiving more scrutiny as fans grow increasingly invested. Such has been the case for Angel Reese, Louisiana State University’s power forward who — along with University of Iowa point guard Caitlin Clark — is predicted to be top picks in Monday night’s WNBA draft.
The 21-year-old star player is at the center of a maelstrom of hate and internet trolling that began last year. When Reese led her team to a national championship against Clark, an interaction that some characterized as « trash-talking » went viral, prompting attacks from basketball fans, commentators and even sports journalists.
During a post-game press conference last week following LSU’s loss to Iowa in a highly-anticipated rematch, Reese showed vulnerability and cried, opening up about the exchange with Clark and telling reporters that she’s « been through so much. »
« I’ve seen so much, » she continued. I’ve been attacked so many times, death threats. I’ve been sexualized. I’ve been threatened … I’ve been so many things, and I’ve stood strong every single time.”
So why was the leader of 2023’s national championship team, an All-American player and this year’s Southern Conference Player of the Year, a target of unyielding hate, sexualization and racism? Here’s the breakdown.
2023’s NCAA women’s basketball final game ended with LSU snagging the win with a score of 102 points to Iowa’s 85. During the game, Reese taunted Clark by waving her hands in front of her own face, a nod to the « you can’t see me » gesture created by rapper Tony Yayo and then popularized by WWE star John Cena.
Both Clark and Reese used the gesture during last year’s March Madness. Clark waved a hand in front of her face when Iowa beat Louisville, allowing them to enter the Final Four.
