Angel Reese notched her 34th double-double in the NCAA Division I national championship game — the most in one season in Division I history — and boosted the LSU Tigers to an historic 102-85 win over Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes.
The Tigers’ 102 points are the most-ever in an NCAA women’s title game, and the result was the first-ever national championship for LSU in men’s or women’s basketball. So, yeah, Reese (the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, by the way) was rightfully feeling herself.
People are mad — and telling on themselves in their racist and sexist outrage.
The backstory: Clark hit the “you can’t see me” during Iowa’s 97-83 Elite Eight trouncing of Louisville. She put up a triple-double with 41 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists. Mostly everybody loved her confidence. But when Reese served Clark the “you can’t see me” as time was expiring in the national championship, Reese was ridiculed for being too cocky or whatever.
“Caitlin Clark is a hell of a player, for sure, but I don’t take disrespect lightly,” Reese said on ESPN afterward.
“I don’t take disrespect lightly.”
Angel Reese on her celebration in front of Caitlin Clark. pic.twitter.com/IxrdUz1ae6
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 2, 2023
Caitlin Clark hit the “YOU CAN’T SEE ME.”
— WSLAM (@wslam) March 27, 2023
Grand opening / grand closing pic.twitter.com/nrnI0SprZb
— Lennessy, M.A. (@LennessyBlack) April 2, 2023
— LSU Women’s Basketball (@LSUwbkb) April 2, 2023
ANGEL REESE HIT CAITLIN CLARK WITH THE “YOU CAN’T SEE ME”
pic.twitter.com/Zj3mqIzkk9
— ESPN (@espn) April 2, 2023
These photos are tough.
(
Maddie Meyer) pic.twitter.com/MNjN1sK0Yg
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 2, 2023
Angel Reese just hit Caitlin Clark with the “you can’t see me”
pic.twitter.com/POazWMwAbM
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 2, 2023
The backstory to the backstory: The one thing everybody seemed to agree on was crediting John Cena with inventing the “you can’t see me,” and Cena chimed in after Clark’s celebration in the Elite Eight. But it turns out the discourse over its usage was just as misguided as the understanding of its origin. Before Cena popularized the catchphrase and hand gesture in WWE, there was G-Unit’s Tony Yayo in the “So Seductive” video featuring 50 Cent. (For what it’s worth, Cena has credited Yayo in the past.)
Look no further than the 32-second mark:
“LISTEN JOHN CENA DID NOT INVENT THE ‘YOU CAN’T SEE ME,’” The Kid Mero tweeted. “TONY YAYO DID AND IDK WHY HES NOT MORE VOCAL ABOUT IT.”
LISTEN JOHN CENA DID NOT INVENT THE “YOU CANT SEE ME”
TONY YAYO DID AND IDK WHY HES NOT MORE VOCAL ABOUT IT
— THE KID MERO
(@THEKIDMERO) April 3, 2023
Another tweeter noted, “At the end of the day, Tony Yayo is the cause of all of this LMAO.”
At the end of the day, Tony Yayo is the cause of all of this LMAO pic.twitter.com/2JgIub74p4
— I’m named after El Debarge (@hydrothemc) April 3, 2023
I hate that they are calling this the John Cena, when its been the Tony Yayo my whole life. pic.twitter.com/7Ofeiq2n4S
— Tony (@Tusslindo) April 3, 2023
I hate that y’all calling this the John Cena like Tony Yayo wasn’t doing this first https://t.co/wYDVhleViG
— Big Ky (@Dope_Simpson) April 3, 2023
Y’all really need to give Tony Yayo his credit #tonyyayo #lsuiowa pic.twitter.com/ozbjXZy2ld
— Hollywood Cole (@bohannibal) April 3, 2023
As for Clark and Reese, Clark wasn’t bothered by Reese’s excellent taunt, and Reese used the moment to speak on the purpose behind her unabashed authenticity.
All year, I was critiqued about who I was. I don’t fit in a box that y’all want me to be in. I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto. But when other people do it, y’all say nothing. So this was for the girls that look like me, that’s going to speak up on what they believe in. – Angel Reese pic.twitter.com/e8tinGBe6n
— Ernie Suggs (@erniesuggs) April 3, 2023
“All year, I was critiqued about who I was,” Reese said during her postgame presser. “I don’t fit the narrative. I don’t fit in the 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 don’t say nothing. So this was for the girls who look like me, that’s gonna speak up on what they believe in. It’s unapologetically you, and that’s who I did it for tonight.”
She continued, “It was bigger than me tonight. It was bigger than me. Twitter is gonna go on a rage every time, and I mean, I’m happy. I feel like I helped grow women’s basketball this year. I’m super happy and excited, so I’m looking forward to celebrating and then next season.”
In other words, you will see Angel Reese.
