Angel Reese has had a meteoric rise to fame since helping Louisiana State University secure the 2023 NCAA championship last April. The basketball star went viral for displaying her competitive spirit on the court, which included her doing the “you can’t see me” gesture toward Iowa Hawkeyes’ Caitlin Clark.
LSU won 102-85, and Reese has since multiplied NIL deals. She currently holds the number one spot in college women’s basketball, with a NIL valued at $1.7 million, according to On3.
Reese has since looked back on her rivalry with Clark. She clarified that a competitive spirit has always existed between the two basketball players, noting that she would like to be her teammate in the future.
“I love Caitlin,” she told the press last week, according to CBS Sports. “We’ve been competing since we were in AAU. AAU days, we always competed. I remember she was at All Iowa Attack, and we would play each other in AAU. It was always fun and always competitive. One day, hopefully, me and her can be teammates because she is a great player and a great shooter and a great person and a great teammate.”
Reese also opened up about the narrative of there being a hero and a villain during the championship game. She believes that having put women’s basketball into the spotlight is what truly counts.
“Understanding that they always put a good girl and a bad girl,” she said. “Just understanding that’s what it is. I’ll take that I’m gonna be the bad guy, but I know I’ve grown women’s basketball. I know I’m being positive and that I’ve inspired people. So, people can think what they think, but me and Caitlin, we’ve been cool. We’ve never had any issues.”
Both Reese and Clark are set to return in the 2023-24 season. They may meet again during March Madness as both LSU and the Iowa Hawkeyes are considered top-10 teams.
